Faith
by Candyland
Summary: [COMPLETE] Something shows up on Earth, and it takes a sacrifice to stop it. Can Videl deal with losing Gohan? And...will he want to come back?
1. A Walk in the Park

AN: Okey dokers. I tried my hand at a short G/V fic, and it came out pretty well. Someone suggested that I should try a longer one, so here goes nuttin. I'll be updating as soon as I get it written, and I'm not sure how long this is gonna be. As long as I can make it without it getting boring, I suppose. Without further ado, the story. 

PS. Me no own DBZ. You no sue. Me be happy. Me give everyone hugs. You run away screaming so you no can sue because you too far away. Me be even happier. ^-^

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Chapter One—A Walk in the Park

Videl slid her hand into Gohan's, and was pleased when he gave her fingers a tiny squeeze. They were completely engrossed with each other's company as they walked through the park.

They passed the pond, and stopped on the footbridge to watch a group of children throwing bread to some ducks. There was one child that the others seemed determined to push into the water, and they couldn't help but laugh at the antics of the young.

On they walked, sometimes holding hands, sometimes not, but either way attracting knowing looks from some older couples. One older woman actually stopped and asked them how long they'd been together, and they both had to smile at the elderly woman's bluntness.

"Not very long," Videl answered with a smile. "A little over three months."

"You look so comfortable with each other, you'd think it was three years!" the lady laughed out loud, drawing another smile from the teenagers. "It's rare to see two people so young and so at ease. Don't let anything break you two up, you hear me?"

Both Gohan and Videl stifled laughter and nodded fervently, swearing on the promise of unspecified torture that they wouldn't let anything come between them. They walked along a little ways, and when they felt they were a safe distance away, both burst out into laughter.

"Oh my Kami, what's the deal?" Videl choked. "People are acting like we're married or something! Gods!"

"Well, the daughter of the World Martial Arts Champion is being seen around town with a tall teenage boy with a weird haircut," Gohan gasped. "That's bound to attract some attention!"

"Oh whatever," she finally got ahold of herself. "And your hair isn't that weird."

They both continued chuckling to themselves as they resumed their walk. It was so peaceful.

Then Videl's watch began beeping. She let out a huge sigh of exasperation. "Don't I get a day off? Whatever happened to peace and quiet?"

"Peace and quiet?" Gohan teased. "Never heard of 'em. What are they?"

"Shut up," she gave him a small shove, then turned her attention to her radio. "Damn bank robbers. Can't they be a little more creative?"

"Guess not. Shall we?"

The two teenagers ducked behind a tree, changed into the Great Saiyamen (AN: Saiyanmans? Saiyamen? Something like that), and took off towards the city.

Beating the tar out of the bank robbers was unbelievably simple, and they were back to normal in the park in under ten minutes.

"You'd think these cops would be able to do some of this stuff themselves," Videl commented, stretching her arms out over her head.

"Yeah, but it keeps things inter—" Gohan started to reply when he was cut off in mid-sentence. His sense were going nuts, picking up an unbelievably powerful ki. After a second of probing he realized that there was more than one there.

"What? What is it?" Videl looked thoroughly perplexed, as her ki-sensing abilities weren't quite up to par with Gohan's yet.

"There's something out there," he answered slowly. "Something strong, but I don't know what."

"Let's go check it out," she pulled on his arm. This time the two didn't bother taking the time to disguise themselves. They lifted up into the sky and took off, following Gohan's senses towards the unfamiliar ki.

AN: And we're off! Chapter One completed! I know, not much here, but stuff's really gonna start happening in the next couple chapters. To be honest, the elderly woman who gives Gohan and Videl that little lecture is based on someone I actually met once. She was a sweet old lady, but she kept asking me if I had a boyfriend and why I wasn't looking at boys and stuff. It was kind of funny. Chapter Two up soon!


	2. Joining Forces

AN: As Ace Ventura would say, all righty then! We're back with part two of my first ever G/V chapter fic. When we last left our heroes, Gohan and Videl were out taking a walk through the park, took a few minutes to stop some bank robbers, went back to their stroll, but were interrupted again when Gohan started sensing some strange ki, and they took off to investigate. So here we go! If thou thinkest I owneth DBZ, get thee to a hospital to haveth your head examineth. And thank you to everyone who has reviewed and who will review. I love you all! And don't ask why I wrote Yamcha into this. I just needed another guy on the field, and Goku's dead, so…you get the idea.

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Chapter Two—Joining Forces

*Okay Gohan, what exactly are you picking up?* Videl's voice popped into his mind.

*Just some weird kis. I can't identify them, and that's usually a bad sign.*

*Oh.* her end of the conversation went silent, and Gohan didn't feel the need to continue either.

He could sense some other kis as well, blessedly familiar ones. There was Krillen, Vegeta, Yamcha, and Piccolo. They'd picked it up too, and were on the way.

__

Great, just what I really don't need. Why does everything always insist on coming to Earth? He wondered vaguely as the scenery flashed by beneath them. The ki was getting closer, very quickly.

Which told him that the owners of this ki were coming toward him.

*Videl, stop,* he ordered mentally, stopping himself. Videl went on for a few more yards before screeching to a halt.

"What's up?" she turned around to look at him.

"We're waiting," he said matter-of-factly. "We're waiting for the others to get here."

"What others?" she demanded, and he smiled. Kami, she was so much like his mother.

"Piccolo, Vegeta, Krillen, and Yamcha," he answered, hoping his friends would get there soon. The strange ki was getting closer, and it was definitely more then he wanted to try handling on his own.

Finally, two separate sets of dots came flying towards he and Videl, one from each side. On the one side, his friends; on the other, the owners of the mysterious new energy signatures. His friends seemed to be by his side in no time at all, but their new opponent was another story.

After what seemed like an eternity, they were finally face to face with the strangers.

"Well, that's…odd…" Yamcha mused as they got their first good look at these visitors.

There were eleven of them total. They were very tall, about as tall as Piccolo, actually, with blue skin that had a strange white patch around the shoulders; four toes poked out from each foot, and a long tail danced around behind each of them. Their eyes were glowing yellow, not unlike a cat's eyes. And they all looked quite angry.

One of them floated forwards a little bit and looked at each of the Z fighters (AN: Gag me.) in turn before speaking in a voice that sounded like a snake's hiss. "Well, is this our welcoming committee? How nice. We'll just make ourselves right at home if you don't mind."

With that, he formed a ki blast in his hand and flung it at the assembled fighters. The thing was shocked to see that they easily evaded the attack.

"Hmph. Faster then they look," he muttered as he turned to his companions. "Kill them!"

The blue creatures all suddenly looked to be in much better moods. They seemed to confer for a moment, then divided, as if they could sense who the stronger ones were. Three went after Vegeta, two after Piccolo, one after Krillen, one after Yamcha, one after Videl, and three after Gohan.

And thus the battle began.

AN: Okay, I know. Not the best chapter in the world. Sorry it took me so long to get this update up. I promise the next one will be better, cuz it's a fight scene!!! Sorry this wasn't very good.


	3. The Time Has Come

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AN: Okay, after a long and difficult struggle, I discovered something—I can't write fight scenes!!! So I'm going to move on with the story, make a couple of allusions to the general idea of what happened, and leave the rest up to your imaginations (and vow to never again write a story with a fight scene). I am soooooo sorry, everyone whose been so patiently waiting for the next chapter. I feel bad…but we'll go on with the story anyway. I don't own DBZ.

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Chapter Three—The Time Has Come

Videl grabbed Gohan's arms in a death grip that he didn't think a Super Saiyan could have broken.

"Gohan, please!"

"Just go! This is all gonna be over in a few minutes."

"Are you gonna be okay?"

"I don't know."

"Gohan, I'm not letting you go if you're not coming back!"

It had been a long haul; those damn blue things hadn't been too tough. But then they'd all joined together, like a deranged fusion or something. The result had been a creature that looked exactly the same as before, only ten feet tall and far stronger. It had taken a combined effort from himself, Yamcha, Krillen, and Videl to send that thing flying. Piccolo and his opponents hadn't returned at all, leaving Gohan with a vague suspicion that his mentor hadn't bothered giving those things a fighting chance. In other words, they were probably in small pieces by now. So Gohan was pretty much alone to make the decision as to what would be done next. Translation: he was fighting with Videl over the plan of action.

For the first time since their argument had started, Gohan turned and looked down at Videl. Her face was red, there was a cut bleeding on her forehead, and her eyes were bright with anger and tears. Looking into those eyes very nearly shattered his resolve, but he forced himself not to give in.

"Videl, I promise that I will always come back for you."

A single tear escaped from her eyes. "Promise?"

"Promise."

He glanced over his shoulder. That thing was coming back. He had to hurry.

"What is it?" Videl asked.

"It's coming. You have to go now."

Videl faltered. "Gohan…"

He tilted her chin up and kissed her gently. He pulled back and uttered two words.

"Forgive me."

A single chop to the side of the neck was all it took, and Videl was unconscious at his feet.

Yamcha and Krillen were standing nearby, but neither of them had the bad taste to give Gohan a hard time about that. He turned to them, expression hard, but eyes almost frightened.

"Take care of her for me, would ya?" he looked down at her sadly. "And tell everyone else I'm sorry. Especially Goten and Piccolo. Goten probably won't understand, though. Don't let Piccolo get here. He's on his way back. Drag him away by force if necessary."

The other two men nodded.

"And guys?" Gohan managed a weak smile. "Thanks…for everything."

They returned his grin, and Yamcha walked forward and gathered up the unconscious Videl. "Everyone's really proud of you, Gohan. I know it," Yamcha said just before he turned and lifted off, flying as far away as he could get. Only Gohan and Krillen were left on the battlefield.

"Hey Krillen. I'm trusting you to do me a really important favor."

"Sure, kid. What's up?"

"Tell Videl that I did this for her. Tell her I died bravely. And tell her…tell her I love her."

Krillen said nothing, but Gohan knew that his message would be delivered. He watched as the last of his friends lifted off and headed for safety.

Behind him, he heard the evil one land.

It was time.

AN: Once again, I'm really really really really really really really sorry about the wait. I just can't write a decent battle scene. But I think I'm entitled to one major screwup, don't you? So don't kill the author or you won't know what happens next!!!!


	4. Darkness

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AN: Thank you to my wonderful reviewers, I lova you all!!! This is really a really short chapter that I just kind threw in because I could. In case you can't tell, it's Gohan's thoughts as he dies. Yes, I'm killing Gohan. Sorry to all the Gohan fans out there. But don't worry, it'll all work out in the end.

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Chapter Four—Darkness

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Pain…

So much pain…

It was like millions of knives, stabbing him everywhere at once…

Good gods…

This is what it felt like…

He couldn't breathe…but that wasn't very surprising…

This is what it felt like to die…

Just before the darkness overtook him completely, there was a strange sensation in his mind…

A sound…

Like something breaking…

A feeling of emptiness…

Something was missing now…

The one tiny corner of his mind that wasn't delirious and had managed to note everything that was going on was pondering this…

But that little corner of his mind didn't have time to figure out what it was…

He fell completely…

The pain disappeared…

There was only…

Darkness.

AN: I know, I know, kinda pathetic excuse for a chappie. Sorry. Next one's long, no fear. Sayonara!


	5. A Painful Truth

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AN: Okay, the last chapter kinda sucked, so here we go with some actually stuff! Really, I feel bad when I don't update for a while, and I needed a little more time to revise this chappie. That's where Chapter 4 came from. Now we get on to Chapter 5—Videl wakes up! Uh-oh…read on. I don't own DBZ.

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Chapter Five—A Painful Truth

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Pain. Searing pain in her mind and heart, and an emptiness, where there had once been something else, something she'd never quite been able to identify or figure out. But one thing was for certain…

Something had happened to Gohan.

"No!" Videl screamed, fighting to sit up, only to have two hands grip her shoulders and push her back down, holding her there.

Now that was strange…whatever she was laying on was soft, not like the rocks, dirt, and sand of the battlefield. Which meant that she wasn't on the battlefield.

A gentle voice was saying her name now. After a moment she recognized it as Krillen's voice, softly coaxing her back to the real world.

She opened her eyes and stared blankly at her surroundings. She was in a bedroom, that much was certain, but whose was it? Where was she?

Krillen was sitting on the edge of the bed. Piccolo was standing by the door, leaning against the wall. Neither of them looked happy.

"What happened? Everything's kind of blurry…ouch!" she put a hand to her aching forehead, only to encounter a bandage taped across her forehead, and whatever was under it hurt when she touched it.

Nobody said anything at first, they all simply looked at her. Finally, Piccolo broke the silence and Videl's heart with only two words.

"Gohan's dead."

Everything froze—her mind, her body, time itself.

It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. Gohan—her best friend, her confidante…gone?

Videl looked at each of the three men in the room, hoping desperately that maybe one of them would tell her that this was a very cruel joke, that Gohan was actually hiding in the closet or something. But somewhere, deep inside, she knew it wasn't going to happen.

To her own surprise, she didn't cry. She felt too numb to cry. Instead, she just asked a few questions. "How? When? Where am I? What happened to me?"

Piccolo took the first two. "That thing came back, and he did the only thing he could. He killed it at the expense of his own life. Blew himself up to take that thing out. As for when, yesterday. The closest place was his house, so we brought you here. This is actually Gohan's room."

She nodded then. Somehow, now that she thought about it, this room felt like Gohan. "But why did you have to bring me here? What happened to me?" She was startled to realize that she couldn't speak in anything but a monotone whisper.

This time, Krillen answered. "We had to carry you back because you were unconscious, Videl. I watched Gohan give you a hit to the head to knock you out. He told us to get out of there and take you with us, Yamcha and me. You've been unconscious since late yesterday."

"So you just left him there?" Videl found her voice and began screaming. She knew it wasn't going to do any good, but she couldn't help it. "You knew what he was gonna do and you left him there to die?!? What kind of friends are you?"

Krillen's eyes sank to look at the floor. Apparently he'd had that thought too. He slowly rose from his perch on the edge of the bed and walked out of the room. Piccolo followed, leaving Videl alone.

She sat there for a few minutes, trying to gather her thoughts, but it wasn't working. So she decided to just get out of there. She flung open the window and jumped, taking to the sky, not sure where she was going, and not really caring.

After what seemed like a very long time, she landed. Almost instantly she recognized the place.

It was the battlefield. She'd been there only yesterday.

The place where Gohan had died.

She looked around, trying to remember. That thing had been over there…Vegeta had gone to see if there were any more of those things…Piccolo had been some distance away…she had been over there with Krillen, Yamcha, and Gohan.

Gohan…

"Um, Videl?"

She turned to see Krillen standing a few yards away. "What?"

"Um…I followed you out here because there's something I didn't get a chance to tell you," Krillen rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke. "After Gohan knocked you out, Yamcha picked you up and carried you out of here, but I stayed behind long enough to get a message from him to you."

"What did he say?" her voice broke slightly. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

"He said to tell you that he was doing what he did for you. He died bravely, he wanted you to know that," Krillen stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down at the ground. "He also said…" he faltered. "He said…"

"What? Krillen, tell me!"

"He said…he said to tell you he loves you."

Videl's face went completely unreadable, and she turned away. "Krillen, I think I need a little time to myself, okay?"

"I understand. You can come back whenever you need to. We're all at Gohan's house."

A slight woosh of air moving behind her told her that he had taken his leave of this place.

This haunted place.

Alone in this barren wasteland, Videl crumpled to the ground and finally wept.

AN: *sigh* I'm so sadistic sometimes. I love tormenting these characters! Oh well. Next chappie up soon!


	6. Dad?

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AN: …hello? Is anyone still there? Helloooo? *echoes* Okay, maybe there isn't anyone there anymore. Rats. Oh well, I'll post this anyway. I'm soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry! Here's what happened. I started this, not really having any idea where it was going. Then, I got into some little one-shots, and then the idea for "A Price Paid in Blood" hit me, and I honest to God forgot about this story! Don't hurt me! I'll work on it more now! I don't own DBZ…if anyone is actually reading this…

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Chapter Six—…Dad?

Gohan opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a long line behind what looked like a bunch of fluffy little white clouds. The line led up to a large building. How odd.

The line moved slowly. After what felt like hours, Gohan finally made his way into the strange building and found himself looking up at a red giant wearing a suit and sitting behind a desk. The horns on the guy's head reminded Gohan of his own grandfather.

The giant looked down at Gohan from his imposing height. "Your name?"

"Son Gohan, sir."

An expression of confusion crossed the giant's face. "Son Gohan? The son of Goku, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

The giant's face broke into a wide grin. "Ah, yes. I am King Yemma, Lord of the Underworld. We didn't think we'd be seeing you for a while. If you'll give me a moment…"

Gohan waited patiently, not quite sure what he was waiting for. He took the opportunity to look around a little bit, and eventually settled into daydreaming about what might happen.

Then…

"Gohan?!?" an all-too-familiar voice said incredulously. Gohan stiffened, then slowly turned around, not sure if he wanted to see…

Standing in the doorway, wearing his standard orange and blue gi, gravity-defying hair sticking out in half a dozen different directions, one hand raised in greeting, was Son Goku. A very startled and confused-looking Son Goku.

Gohan's tongue froze in his head; he couldn't get his voice to work. "…Dad?" he finally managed to choke out.

Apparently, Goku was experiencing the exact same loss of speech. "…Gohan?" That was as far as he got before his son crossed the short gap between them and flung himself at his father. "What are you doing here? Is it a new enemy?"

"It was," the teenager pulled back, his eyebrows lowered over darkened eyes. "But he's gone now, thank Kami."

"So what happened?"

"I took him out. At a price," Gohan sighed. "That's why I'm here."

Goku nodded that he understood. "Was it that bad?"

"It was the only choice at that moment, and I didn't have much time to wait for any other brilliant ideas. But at least that thing is dead." Gohan's dark look disappeared and was replaced by a semi-smile. "Gods, it's great to see you again, Dad."

Chatting aimlessly, father and son strolled out of the enormous check-in station. Apparently Goku was quite a familiar face, judging by how many of the ogres he waved to; he greeted quite a few by name, and exchanged jokes and teasing remarks with just as many. Son Goku was definitely one well-known guy around this place. Finally, they managed to make their way onto the long, winding Snake Way. From there, they just started flying around through the clouds.

"So…you're actually eighteen now?" Goku said incredulously. "Man…never thought I'd actually have to look up at my son!"

"Yeah…that's not the only thing that's changed," Gohan replied. "I have a little brother, too."

Goku screeched to a halt. "WHAT?!?"

"Yup. His name is Goten. He was born after you died," the teenager supplied. "He's very much his father's son, let me tell you. Even eats like you!"

"Oh man…nobody told me about that!" Goku shook his head. "Anything else?"

"Yeah…there's something else…"

"What?"

"Nothing…really…"

"Gohan, start talking."

"No."

"Okay, that's it, mister. You're grounded."

"What? You can't do that!"

"I'm your father. I sure can."

"Not fair!"

"What's fair? I never heard anyone say anything about anything being fair."

"Go away."

"Tell me what else is going on down there."

"Fine…" Gohan finally gave up. "Ya know, this isn't something most teens would really want to share with their parents. We like to keep some things secret."

"Well, too bad. Tell me!" Goku actually started whining. It reminded Gohan of those times when he knew a secret, such as what Goten's Christmas or birthday present was going to be, and the chibi was trying to worm the information out of his brother by the simple expenditure of being annoying. If done right, timed right, and handled correctly, a well-placed whine could do wonders.

"Fine!" Gohan rolled his eyes. The next few words were muttered and slurred together so that even Goku's sharp Saiyan ears couldn't make out what he was saying. "Ihaveagirlfriend."

"Come again?"

"Ihaveagirlfriend."

"Gohan…" Goku folded his arms and raised an eyebrow at his son.

Gohan groaned. "I have a girlfriend now…"

"Really?" Goku brightened. "Tell me all about her!"

For the rest of the flight towards wherever it was that Goku was leading them to, Gohan told his father about Videl: how they'd met, how they'd started dating, and how ChiChi was already planning their wedding. He even threw in a few funny stories about their adventures as the Great Saiyamen. (AN: Again, that plural Saiyamans thing! What is it, exactly? Saiyamans or Saiyamen or what?!?) By the time they reached Goku's training grounds, the Saiyan was doubled up with laughter.

"She sounds like a winner. Is she cute?" Goku asked innocently as they landed.

"Dad!" this time, it was Gohan that whined.

"Okay, okay…hey, King Kai!"

A short, blue…well, catfish-man was the best term Gohan could come up with to describe the individual that came strolling over. When it spoke, it's…er, _his_ voice was extremely nasal and kind of hard to understand. It sounded like he had a few dozen walnuts stuffed into his cheeks. "Welcome back! Well? What did you find?"

"It was! King Kai, this is my son, Gohan," Goku said proudly.

"Nice to meet you," Gohan bowed politely.

"Ah, so you're the son of Goku," the strange blue guy wheezed. "Hey, this reminds me of a joke. What did the elephant say—"

"So, Gohan!" Goku interrupted loudly. "Tell me more about this Videl girl."

"Actually, I'm wondering if she knows I'm dead yet," Gohan sighed.

"There's a way to find out," the Saiyan said cheerfully.

The way Gohan reacted, you would have thought he'd been told that his father had come back to life. "What? Where? What do I do?"

"Calm down. Follow me. Not many people around here know about this."

Goku led his son over to a cliff and pointed down into a small pond. "Here. Look in there. It'll show you just about anything you might want to see from the Real World."

"Hey, Goku, got a minute?" King Kai called, and so Gohan was left alone to figure out the strange viewing pond or whatever it was.

"Hmm…" he muttered. "Well…umm…show me Videl?"

Almost immediately, the pond began to swirl with every color imaginable in a beautiful rainbow kaleidoscope. A few seconds later an image became visible.

Gohan's heart shattered inside him at what he saw.

Videl knew.

AN: I finally updated! And ya know what? I already have the next chapter written! And—get this—the one after that, too! Except I need to make a few changes to that last one. After that…well, I'm not quite sure where the story is going. I'm going against my rules and juggling two major stories at once. We'll see…tune in, because the next update will be lots lots faster! Promise!


	7. A Favor

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AN: Yay! Another chapter! Read on to find out what happens to our hero, still stuck in Otherworld. I don't own DBZ, just my poor little almost-forgotten plotline.

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Chapter Seven—A Favor

He loved her. Dammit, he loved her. Why the hell hadn't he said anything?

"Well, Gohan, you did it this time," he muttered to himself, watching the heartwrenching scene below. Watching her cry like that, he wanted nothing more then to put his arms around her and console her, tell her it would be all right. But that was impossible now.

He was sitting alone on a cliff in Otherworld. Below him, he could see what was happening on Earth. Now he was starting to wish he hadn't even come here to look in on his friends and family.

Krillen had delivered the message to her. Thank Kami for small favors.

At least she knew.

Gohan suddenly knew exactly how Videl felt at that moment. He'd never felt so alone and so helpless before in his life. So close…and yet so far away…it was the worst thing he'd ever experienced.

But at least he could see her. She didn't even have that dubious comfort, the knowledge that he was all right. From here he could watch over her.

It had been a strange time since his death. He'd been reunited with his father. Goku had been absolutely stunned by the story, but seemed glad to see his older son again. They'd talked for a while before Goku had been summoned to run an errand for King Kai. Quite honestly, Gohan preferred to be alone right at that moment.

Nearby, King Kai was tending to something, humming happily under his breath. The off-key melody drifted to Gohan's ears, and he sighed. This was the guy who had trained his father? Impossible!

Blocking the tuneless song out, he refocused on Videl.

So what would she do now? She'd been crying alone for some time now. He didn't want her to be alone right then. It was too painful for both of them.

Gohan had never seriously explained it to her, and he'd never told his friends either (though he knew that a couple of them probably suspected it) but he and Videl and been lifebonded—that is, lifemates. He'd heard Vegeta explaining it once. There were bonds, and then there were lifebonds, with the latter being far rarer and far more special. He'd made the conclusion based on their already-strong bond. She'd often said that it felt like he was always in the back of her mind, and they'd been able to hear each other's thoughts for some time now. Distance wasn't a factor anymore; he just had to think about her and there she was. It was simple—they were destined to be together.

Or apparently not.

But now he wondered—what happened when one half of a lifebonded pair died if there was nothing for the living partner to hold onto?

If the answer was what he was starting to think it might be, he was desperate to get ahold of somebody and get Videl some help.

Or maybe…

His head snapped up and his eyes widened. "DUH!" he jumped to his feet and pivoted, covering the distance between himself and King Kai in under a second.

"Let me talk to Piccolo or Krillen or somebody! Please!" he fell to his knees and grabbed the front of King Kai's robe. "This is seriously important! If I don't get this message to them, Videl's probably going to die! This is a matter of life and death!"

King Kai looked at the son of Goku for a moment, considered cracking a joke, then decided against it. The kid was too worked up right now to appreciate any humor. He simply nodded and turned around. Gohan's hand rested on his shoulder.

"Who do you want to talk to?" King Kai wheezed.

"Umm…better make it Piccolo. He's the most discreet," Gohan replied after a moment's thought.

A few seconds later, he felt the mental channel between him and Piccolo widen.

*Piccolo? Are you there?* he called tentatively.

A feeling of surprise, then, *Well well well, I was kind of wondering if I'd ever hear from you again, kid. We're actually discussing going out and getting the Dragonballs to wish you back. Sound good to you?*

*Sounds great!* Gohan wanted to scream with relief. *Hey, can ya do something for me? It's really important.*

*What am I, your servant?* the Namekian growled, but the undertones of the thought told Gohan that if he asked, it would be done.

*I need you to go find Videl. If what I'm thinking is right, she's in a little bit of trouble.*

*How so?*

*Well…* Gohan hesitated.

*Spit it out, kid.*

*Well, we're kind of…umm…bonded.* For some reason he felt a tiny bit embarassed about admitting it, even to Piccolo. *And I don't exactly know what happens when a lifebond is broken like this.*

*And you think I do? No, I don't know either, but I think I know someone who does. Hang on for a second.* The link wavered a little bit as Piccolo's attention was drawn elsewhere, then *Bingo, kid. I asked Vegeta.*

*Oh great!* Gohan couldn't help but groan. Well, there went his little secret.

*Chill. Vegeta's been suspecting it for a while now. He says that if one lifemate dies, the other usually dies as well, pining themselves to death. Essentially, a broken heart.*

*Shit,* the curse slipped out before he even had time to think about it.

That drew a wry chuckle from his former mentor. *I knew we were corrupting you.* The channel weakened again, then strengthened. *Okay kid, you got it. We're going after her, to tell her about the Dragonballs. Don't worry, we'll get to her. Krillen knows where she is.*

Gohan sent the biggest feeling of relief possible down their link. *I owe ya one, Piccolo.*

Another dry chuckle. *Damn straight, kid. Touch base with us once in a while, got it?*

*Got it. Thanks, Piccolo!*

With that, they broke the link.

AN: I'm going to apologize one more time for not working on this story at all for, like, five months. Sorry! Lo siento, for all you speakers de espanol. My Spanglish is terrible. Adios!


	8. Dream Dance

****

AN: Yay! A brand, spankin' new chapter! And this is a cute one, too. Plenty of Gohan-Videl fluffiness! How can it be kawaiiness between Gohan and Videl if Gohan's still dead, you may ask? Read on to find out. I don't own DBZ, nor do I own any of the other letters. But I own MY plotline!

****

Chapter Eight—Dream Dance

The pillow was a comfort to Videl. It was the only shoulder she had to cry on. And cry she did. Hot tears slipped from her eyes, forming tiny drops on the pillowcase; her shoulders shook as she buried her face to stifle her sobs.

Had it only been a few hours since she'd woken up in Gohan's bed with Piccolo and Krillen speaking to her? The past several hours were a hazy blur that had taken eons. She vaguely remembered going back to the battlefield, and then they'd come and taken her back to the Son home. The only really clear thing in her mind were Krillen's words to her on the battlefield.

__

"He says to tell you he loves you…"

Gohan? Loved her? They'd been officially dating for three months. Could he possibly have been serious? Her heart said yes, but her mind resisted, though not strongly and not for long.

The tears came anew as realization dawned. _No no no…I love him…Gohan, why did you leave me?_

Despite her anguish, sleep settled upon her rather quickly. Her sobs receded and softened into the slow, deep breathing of slumber.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

__

I'm sorry, Gohan felt tears creep to his own eyes. He'd been watching everyone for most of the day. It was like rubbing salt in an open wound, but he had to watch, no matter how much it hurt.

A hand touching his shoulder made him turn to look at his father. Goku had a strange little smile on his face as he sat down and looked down at the now-sleeping Videl. "Hmm…cute girl." Goku's eyes were dancing. "A…_friend_ of yours?" A slight emphasis on the word 'friend' made it perfectly clear that Goku knew exactly who that was, but was just taking the opportunity to tease his son.

The teenager blushed a little. "You…could say that."

"Go see her."

"What?" Gohan stared incredulously at his father.

"She's asleep. You can visit her," Goku's grin grew wider. "I just talked to King Kai, and he says you can visit her in her dreams."

"Really?!?" Gohan was on his feet in an instant. "Where do I go?!? What do I do?!?"

"Calm down," Goku held up a hand. "It's called Dreamtime. Come on. I'll show you."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

__

Where am I? Videl wondered, realizing that she was no longer in her pajamas, but in her normal school clothes. She stood there, looking around in awe at her beautiful surroundings. She was surrounded, or so it seemed, by a night sky—blue-black velvet sprinkled all over with shining dots of silver. She was floating amidst it, despite the fact that she could feel something solid beneath her feet. _Did I die too? Maybe I'll see Gohan…_

"You're not dead," someone said behind her, "but you can see me if you like."

Videl whirled around, not quite daring to hope…and there was Gohan.

He looked radiant, somehow, even though he appeared just as he had in life. He was wearing the familiar blue-purple gi, the red wristbands, and the smile that made her go weak at the knees. One hand was extended in greeting.

For a five-second eternity, neither moved. Then Videl crossed the shot distance between them and flung herself at him. She threw her arms around him and cried into his shirt, whispering nonsense and baby talk. Gohan's closed around her tightly; it was the safest she had ever felt.

"So…you're happy to see me?" Gohan asked softly.

She could help but laugh. "Of course I'm happy to see you, moron! But where are we, anyway?"

"Dad said this was called Dreamtime," Gohan answered with a chuckle.

"Is it real?" Videl looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Yes…and no," he replied. "I know that doesn't make any sense. Our real selves are here, but it's not a real place. Understand any better?"

"No," she grinned. "But that's okay."

Gohan's smile faded, and his eyes became sad. "Videl, there's actually a reason I brought you here. I wanted to say I'm sorry…for what happened."

Videl shook her head furiously. "Don't be. You beat that thing. That's what matters." More tears stung her eyes, and she mentally cursed herself for being so emotional. "Besides, they're gonna get those Dragonball things and wish you back to life."

The tiny smile returned, and his expression grew thoughtful. "Yeah, I know." He looked as though he wanted to say more, but something strange happened.

Music started playing. It seemed to come from all around them.

Something clicked in Gohan's mind, and he knew. _Good grief, Dad. You're getting as bad as Mom! Oh well. I guess I appreciate the help._

Videl smiled shyly. "Wanna dance?"

Gohan blinked, then smiled sheepishly. "I really don't know how…"

"It's easy!" she exclaimed. "I can teach you. Come on." It took less than five seconds to get set up, and they began moving in time to the strange but beautiful music. It was unbelievably comfortable.

Gohan suddenly grinned and pulled back a little; he held one hand up and spun her around, pulling her right back in when the turn was completed. A few beats later, he wrapped one arm entirely around her waist and dipped her, pulling her back up and into a tight spin.

"You don't know how to dance, huh?" she murmured teasingly.

"Bulma taught me when I was twelve," he admitted, spinning her again.

"Ah-ha!" she cried triumphantly, letting her head rest against his chest. "So what have you been up to? What's it like to die?"

"It hurts. It really hurts," he answered truthfully. "But it doesn't last long. I've been with my dad. Gods, it's wonderful to see him again! I guess didn't realize how much I really missed him. We've been spending a ton of time together, getting caught up and talking and training and stuff. It's great! Oh, and I told him about you. He wants to meet you sometime, but until then, he won't stop teasing me! Actually, I think he might have had a little something to do with this."

Videl made a small noise of agreement as a particularly poisonous thought began forming in the very back of her mind. _What if…_

But she didn't have time to focus on that thought—or any thought, for that matter—anymore. The music was coming from everywhere, and it felt like it was just taking control of her. There were only two things she could do: move with the music, and feel. It was magical, in every sense of the word.

They'd been there for ages when a strange tugging sensation made her mind start working again. She glanced over her shoulder in confusion. "Gohan, what is that?"

He sighed unhappily. "It means time's up. I have to go back."

"What?" Videl half-asked, half-shrieked. "No! You can't! You just got here, you can't leave!"

"I have to," he replied, feeling helpless. "But I need you to do something for me."

"Yes?"

"Hang in there," he said softly; his onyx eyes burned into her sapphire ones. "This isn't going to be easy for anyone. But you need to be tough, like I know you are, and keep going. Keep an eye on Goten for me, if you can. He's not used to big brother being gone like this. I'd appreciate it."

"Can do."

He smiled, and her knees turned to rubber. "Remember…I love you."

Her heart shattered inside her. "And I love you, Gohan."

Slowly, she rose up onto her tiptoes, and Videl pressed her lips gently against Gohan's; she was pleased when she met no resistance. Her eyes closed as she gave herself over to the purest emotion…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Videl's eyes opened and she sat straight up in her bed, the comforter falling from where it had been wrapped around her shoulders. For a moment, she didn't quite know where she was.

Or why there was the strange sensation of a featherlike touch on her cheek…

The memory of what had just transpired came rushing back to her. And with it came a warm sense of peace…and a nasty little idea that she recalled ignoring, the kind of thought that picks the worst possible time to manifest.

__

Gohan sounded so happy when he was talking about being with his dad, she remembered as a strange chill wrapped around her stomach. Ice encircled her heart. _What if he doesn't want to come back? What if he wants to stay dead so he can be with his father?_ She shook her head furiously. _No…stop it. You're being silly, girl. Don't do this to yourself. He'll come back. He has too much here not to! His family, his friends, school…you…he has to come back. He has to. You know he will. Have faith, Videl. He'll come back. He'll come back…_

Even as she repeated that thought over and over to herself in her mind and settled back under her comforter to try and resume sleeping, she wondered just how empty the words were.

What if?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Somewhere in Otherworld, three people were talking, and someone was having an equally hard, equally unpleasant time, though of an entirely different nature.

"Nice, Gohan. Yeah, that was nice."

"Shut up, Dad."

"Hey, this reminds me of a joke!"

"Keep talking, Dad."

AN: Come on…I had to make sure Videl knew Gohan was safe and sound over in Otherworld. Also, at some point in some story, I'll have to fully explain Dreamtime. I made it up for **Laid to Rest**, and it seemed to fit in with a few other things, so it became a regular plot device.

Next chapter, I guess the hunt for the Dragonballs begin. I think. I haven't written the next chapter yet. But I promise I'll get to it a lot faster! I'm going against my normal rules and juggling two major stories at once. I really don't like doing that, but in this case I guess it's necessary. Sayonara!


	9. The Search Begins

****

AN: I'm back in town, folks! Show choir competition in Minneapolis all weekend. The Mall of America rules! Shopped till you drop…or at least until the bus leaves. Four hours of wonderful shopping…oh yeah, and a first runner-up trophy from finals. Not bad, considering Totino-Grace is probably one of the toughest competitions in this area of the country. Lots of big name schools in the show choir world. Okay, enough of me babbling, you're hear to read the story.

This fic is still alive! Since YSY is done, this will officially become my priority fic. We'll see where it goes. I'm sorry updates are taking so long, but I'm trying. Jazz band wraps up tomorrow, so there goes on of my activities, and show choir's done in less than a month. So my time will be freeing up a little bit in very short order. Man…it feels like I started this ages ago. Oh wait, I did. Oh well. I don't own DBZ.

****

Chapter Nine—The Search Begins

Goten was crying again. Actually, he hadn't really stopped, but there were times when it got worse than others, and this was one of those times. The poor kid was heartbroken over the loss of his brother, and nothing could make him feel better. Not even the knowledge that his brother would be coming back as soon as the Dragonballs were gathered.

Videl sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing the chibi's back and letting him cry himself out. It was really the only thing she could do, that and listen to the rumble of conversation outside the closed bedroom door. The rest of the gang was out there, finishing preparations for the Dragonball hunt. They were going to leave very soon, and she was determined to be ready when they were.

It had actually taken a while to convince them that she needed to go with them on this search. For some reason they didn't think she should go along. But she'd thrown a very cruel card in their faces, and proclaimed, "Well, _Gohan_ would let me go." She knew it was true, and they knew it was true. It had been terrible of her to say that under the circumstances, but it got her what she wanted—the guys agreed, and she was accepted into the mission.

"Brother…Gohan…" Goten kept hiccuping.

"Shh…" she whispered. "He'll be back soon." She couldn't put much emphasis on the words, since she wasn't quite sure if she believed them herself. If he decided to hang around Otherworld with his father and not come back…well, Goten wouldn't be the only one shattered.

Krillen pushed open the door. "Videl, you ready?" he asked, looking unusually solemn.

"Ready when you guys are," she said. "Just let me say goodbye here, okay?"

The short man's eyes fell on the sobbing form on the bed, and his expression softened. He nodded and disappeared from the doorway.

Videl pulled the child into her lap and wrapped her arms around him. "Shh…we're going to get the Dragonballs now. As soon as we get them, we'll wish him right back. You'll have your brother back soon, sweetie. It'll all be okay."

He sniffed; new tears were mixing with old ones on his face. It was the most heartbreaking thing she had ever seen in her life. "I…*sniff*…hope…so…"

"You'd better believe it, squirt," she said, using a nickname she had heard Gohan use many times in reference to the chibi.

It wasn't lost on Goten. He looked up at her. "Brother…calls me…that…"

"I know. Can I call you that too?"

After a moment of thought, she got a nod for an answer.

"Okay. I'm gonna go now so we can make Gohan get his butt back here. Sound good?"

"Uh-huh," Goten responded, looking miserable. He hugged her tightly. "Be careful, okay? Don't get hurt or killed too."

"I won't. Trust me, with those guys hanging around, there's no way anything's gonna happen to me. How could it with guys like Piccolo and Vegeta for babysitters?" Videl said calmly. "Just don't tell them I said that. Okay, squirt?"

"Uh-huh," Goten said again.

"Hang tight. We won't be gone long. You have to be tough." Hadn't Gohan said almost those exact words to her a couple of nights ago, when they'd met in her dream? She set the chibi down on the bed and ruffled his hair affectionately, feeling her heart break as his little chin kept quivering. "Take care of your mom and yourself, kiddo. Be back before you know it."

"Bye."

She had to make a hasty retreat before she lost her nerve. Her resolve had come perilously close to breaking at the look on Goten's face as she walked quickly out of the room. The kid was heartbroken.

They were all waiting for her outside. When she walked out, they looked at her. No one said anything; they all merely nodded, and by some unspoken agreement took to the air.

As they left, she sent a last, silent thank-you to Bulma. The Capsule Corporation heiress had taken it upon herself to handle Videl's father. When Videl had told her father she was leaving with some friends on a long trip, he had gotten extremely upset, to say the least, and flat-out said no. She wondered what he would have said if he'd known the whole story. Probably wouldn't have said much of anything, actually. Probably would have dragged her to a mental institution. But that didn't matter now. Bulma had tapped her on the shoulder, and asked to take the phone. Then she had shooed Videl out of the room.

The teenager didn't know exactly what was said between the two adults, nor did she know what kind of magic Bulma had worked. But a few short minutes later, she had passed the phone back to Videl, and the girl was startled to hear her father give her permission in a shaky, subdued voice.

So now, here she was.

Videl simply stared at the ground, watching the scenery pass by beneath them. Not that she got a very good look at any of it; they were going way too fast to see much in detail. She was doing a surprisingly good job of keeping pace with the other three. There was no way she was going to be left behind. Not now. This was way too important.

Krillen was managing the Dragon Radar, as he was the one with the most experience in using it from his childhood adventures with Goku and Bulma. Videl knew some of those stories; she'd heard them from various members of the "old gang," as Gohan affectionately called them.

__

Crap. Don't think about him, she mentally chastised herself.

Nobody spoke much. She guessed (correctly, in fact) that everyone was simply staying lost in their own thoughts. They'd already studied the radar and found that the search was going to take them everywhere. After a brief discussion, it had been decided that the wisest course of action was to start on the other side of the world and work their way back.

They would reach the area of the first Dragonball that day. With a little luck, they would be able to claim it for themselves as well. But that was probably several hours away.

All she could do was was enjoy the scenery and try not to think about Gohan.

And so far, she couldn't really do either.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was five eternities later when they touched down in the middle of a desert wasteland. The four Dragonball hunters looked around for any sign of the elusive gem.

Vegeta snorted in disgust. "You'd think the stupid dragon would have a little better taste in scenery than this." The Saiyan Prince had been far less than agreeable company for this trip. He kept maintaining that the only reason he was involved in these shenanigans was because the 'damn baka woman' had threatened to take away everything unless he went. Everything, including the Gravity Room, his bed priveleges, and his food supply. But despite that, Videl had a strong suspicion that Bulma's threats were only a part of it. But Vegeta would never openly admit to possibly caring about the son of his sworn rival, and Videl wasn't going to ask him to.

Krillen studied the radar for a minute. "It should be…over…that way!"

They walked around, following the blinking light on the radar grid, until finally Krillen stopped. The others skidded to a halt as well.

He frowned. "Well…it should be here somewhere."

With that small amount of information to guide them, they went to the search. They dug around, looking through enormous piles of rocks in their quest to locate the ball.

By Videl's watch, it was fifteen minutes later when Piccolo stood up. He turned to look at them with a comfortable smirk on his face. "Is this what we were looking for?" One green hand lifted so everyone could see the small orange sphere clutched in clawed fingers.

Krillen actually started jumping up and down in excitement. "Yeah! All right! Piccolo got it!" The short man began doing a little victory dance in the sand.

Vegeta allowed himself the tiniest of smirks, but nothing more than that to reflect his happiness at the discovery. After all, it was just the brat. Nothing important, or so he said.

Videl wanted desperately to sing or dance. It was only one Dragonball, which meant that there were six left to go. But every victory mattered at this point. Yes, she wanted to celebrate.

But for some reason, she couldn't even make her face move into a smile. Her mind and her body just weren't working together at the moment. So she just stood there, watching the others react according to their natures and looking at the five stars on the magical orb in Piccolo's hand. And wondering why she felt so drained. Flying didn't take that much power. So where had all of her energy gone?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You really need to eat something," Krillen admonished, stuffing his face.

"No thanks. I'm not really hungry," Videl replied softly. She kept poking at the food in front of her with her fork. Her eyes weren't looking at her plate, though; they were staring directly into the campfire in front of her. Overhead, the sky was darkening from twilight into night. After retrieving the first precious Dragonball, they had decided to just wait it out until the next morning, and then take off after the second and maybe even third Dragonballs. The faster they could find them and make their wish, the better.

She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she missed the fact that Piccolo was studying her; she also failed to notice that the Namekian and Saiyan members of the party were exchanging a look.

Krillen, however, saw it and read it clearly. He took the initiative. "Videl, you look beat. Maybe you should get some sleep."

Words of protest had formed on her tongue, but they faded into a huge yawn. Feeling pretty much defeated, she shrugged. "Okay…sound's good. How early are we leaving tomorrow?"

"As soon as the sun's up," Piccolo replied.

"Good. We'll get an early start. Get me up then," she said, standing up and stretching her arms over her head. "Goodnight, guys."

She didn't notice that all three of them watched her crawl into her sleeping bag, and she very much missed the fact that another glance was passed around, one that all three of them shared this time. Even if she had seen it, she wouldn't have cared. She didn't have the energy.

And her ears weren't sensitive enough to pick up a hushed conversation taking place around the campfire. The three men were discussing something that they obviously didn't want her to hear. Not that she would have cared, anyway. But they were talking about something over there.

In keeping with her physical and mental exhaustion, she fell asleep quickly.

And she dreamed…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The sky above her was black, like night, but there were no stars. On the ground were seven glowing orbs; they pulsed, brightening and dimming to some unheard rhythm, a beat that grew quicker and quicker with each passing second. Videl stared at them in fascination.

Finally, a huge burst of light erupted from the spheres and shot into the inky sky. As it soared, it took form; the light morphed into the shape of an enormous creature, and finally solidified itself into the formidable Shenron, the Eternal Dragon.

"WHAT IS YOUR WISH?" he boomed, red eyes flashing. She glanced around, and found everyone staring at her. The whole group was there, waiting for her to make the wish.

Swallowing hard, she lifted her face and called upwards, "We wish Son Gohan back to life!"

Shenron paused. "THIS WISH CANNOT BE GRANTED."

"What?" she cried in disbelief. "Why not?"

"Because I don't want to come back," a familiar voice said from behind her.

She whirled around. It was Gohan. But not how he'd been the night he'd shared her dreams. His eyes were dead, and his expression was cold. He just looked at her, contempt written plainly in his gaze. It was a completely unnatural look for his face.

"Why?" Videl pleaded, confused by his attitude. She suddenly realized that everyone else was gone, and that the air around her had mysteriously become very cold.

His eyes narrowed. "Because I never want to see any of you again. I'm in Otherworld with my Dad now," he said in a voice as icy as the air. "I'm happier there than I ever was here. I'm never coming back. I never want to see any of you again."

With those harsh words, Gohan floated up a few feet and began flying backwards.

"NO!" she screamed, running at him. But he was always just out of her reach.

Then she tripped, and fell, except the ground didn't catch her. She was falling down…

Down…

Down…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"NO!" Videl heard the scream, and realized that it was coming from her. She tried to sit up, but a hand on her shoulder held her down. At that moment, she didn't even have the presence of mind to will her eyes to open. But she could hear voices around her. Someone was shushing her gently, but she couldn't quite recognize the voice.

A few deep breaths did wonders to clear her head, and she finally managed to gasp out a few words. "Let me up. Now."

The hand obediently withdrew from her shoulder, allowing her the freedom to push herself into a sitting position. And she finally managed to get her eyes to open.

Krillen was looking at her curiously. "Nightmare?"

"You could say that," she replied.

"We told you not to come with us," Piccolo said from behind her. She guess that he had been the one pinning her shoulder down. "But would you listen? No."

"Damn straight I won't listen. I have a right to be here," Videl retorted somewhat harshly. "I'm fine, okay? Just had a nightmare. Believe it or not, people do have nightmares occasionally. So if it's all right with you, I'm going to go back to sleep now."

She heard somebody chuckle, and someone else muttered something about 'spirit.' But they did move back towards the campfire. She was alone again.

Sighing, she dropped back onto the pillow and pulled the sleeping bag up to her chin. After that hellish dream, she didn't think she was going to fall asleep again. But far sooner than she'd expected, her eyelids fell over sore eyes, and she was lost to the world.

Nearby, Krillen glanced over his shoulder. "She has a right to be here. I agree with her on that. But she's not letting anything out."

Piccolo nodded. "If that kid doesn't cry or something, she's either gonna explode, or just bleed to death from the inside out. This coming from someone who hates anything emotional."

"I don't believe that anymore. I think it makes you uncomfortable," Vegeta growled. "Same as me. But you're both right. I personally don't think she belongs out here. It's more of an attempt at distraction for her. She's trying not to remember."

"We'll just have to see what happens," Piccolo intoned, staring into the firelight with a distant look in his eyes. He'd been even more introverted since the attack. "Wait and see."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Rise and shine!" Krillen said. His voice held a surprisingly amount of cheeriness. As far as he was concerned, Gohan was as good as back, so being happy seemed just fine to him.

"I'm awake," Videl groaned, putting her hands over her eyes to block out the harsh sunlight. "I'm getting up, see? Just give me a minute."

He moved away then, apparently satisfied that she would shortly be up and at 'em.

Videl wanted to strangle him, but she restrained herself and simply forced herself to get up. Her dream—no, nightmare—was still fresh in her mind. It was like watching a movie on continuous playback in her mind, and each time was worse than the last.

It didn't take her long to get ready. She'd never been fussy about her appearance, and knowing what was ahead of them made her care even less. Get dressed and brush her hair—that was all she intended to do. But when she went to do something about her hair, she got a surprise.

As she looked at herself in the mirror, she was stunned by how pale she was. There were dark circles under her eyes, and for some reason, her face looked…almost skeletal.

And she felt very, very tired. So tired…

How strange.

AN: Uh-oh. Something's not quite right with Videl. Dear me, dear me…I have no idea how long this story is going to be, so hang with me and we'll see how it goes, k? Good deal. And you'll notice that I have a nice longer chapter for those of you who have been waiting so patiently. Thanks a ton. Toodles!


	10. Quality Time

****

AN: Hola! Como estan ustedes? Bien? Que bueno! For those of you who no hablan espanol, I'll translate. Hello! How are you? Good? That's good.

After mucho disappointments this year with show choir, we finally nabbed one at yesterday's competition. Our JV got first place in the prep division, and we got first place in prelims. Then we got the last time slot in the finals, which is the very best one you can get. We went back on stage, had the time of our lives, and then sat back to wait for awards. To make a long story short, we got Best Band, Best Choreography, Best Vocals, and the Grand Champion trophy. Not bad, huh?

But enough of that, on with the fic! No tengo DBZ. Pero cuando hace mucho calor, tengo el gato muerte en mis pantalones.

****

Chapter Ten—Quality Time

With a groan, Son Goku pushed back from the table and sat back in his chair, patting his stomach in contentment. "Ahh…that was good!"

Gohan couldn't help but grin. His father was not only a world class martial artist, but a world class eater as well. No one could ever outeat Goku. He was an appetite on legs. "Well, Dad, I'm done if you are," he pushed away as well.

Nearby, King Kai was watching with a look of extreme disdain. "Nice of you to leave some for me! I'm hungry too, ya know!"

Goku rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "Sorry! Got carried away, I guess."

"You're a walking vaccuum, Goku! I wonder what you'd look like if you ever stopped training and kept eating like that," the short blue kai muttered, waving them away.

Father and son took to the air. Goku was held in a pretty high esteem by those who ran the Otherworld, so he could go almost anywhere he wanted. He'd made a point of showing his son around the land of the dead. It really wasn't that bad of a place if you got to go to the here-above. But Gohan had been granted the "privelege" of seeing where the really bad cases went, to the very deepest depths of the here-below. That was where the worst tortures happened, and seeing it made Gohan very thankful that he was who he was. Going through…_that_ for all of eternity wasn't something a person could look forward to. Just seeing it made his stomach do backflips.

But at the moment, his thoughts were far away from all of that. They were flying through the strange golden clouds that pillowed all around the infamous Snake Way. Half of the time, they were racing, and the rest of the time, they were almost having contests to see who could do the most inventive flying stunt. The latter competition resulted in Goku nearly falling through the clouds a few times.

Finally, they touched down on Snake Way itself to catch their breath.

"So, Gohan, tell me more about this Videl girl," Goku asked innocently.

"Dad…no!" Gohan refused. He realized he was whining, but he was a teenager! Teenagers didn't want to tell everything to their parents! It was the law of teenagedom!

"Okay, fine…be that way…" Goku whined back. Teenagers were so difficult sometimes!

"They're gathering the Dragonballs," Gohan changed the subject abruptly. "They should be able to wish me back soon, I think."

"That's great!" Goku exclaimed. At Gohan's hurt look, he quickly continued. "Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that we got to catch up and spend time like this. But ChiChi and your brother and Videl are probably going insane without you around."

"Yeah, I can imagine," Gohan replied halfheartedly. There was something he'd been thinking about for some time now, pretty much since he had arrived in Otherworld. It was NOT an easy notion to dismiss or work through.

He loved being with his father. He really did. This was probably the longest time they'd ever spent having actual father-son bonding time, save the "quality" time they'd had in the Room of Spirit and Time before the Cell Games. But this was a million times better than that; comparing the two was like comparing pure gold with plain steel.

And Otherworld was so peaceful, compared to his life on Earth. He didn't have to do anything he didn't want to do. There was no school, no chores, no stress, no pressures, no nothing. Just peace, quiet, and quality time with the father he'd lost so long ago. There was training, of course, but even that was fun.

And Gohan didn't want to give that up. Not ever. Therein was his inner conflict.

He wanted to stay here with his father, and just enjoy the peace and quiet and the training, and never have to worry about anything ever again. It was so much simpler.

On the other hand, he knew they were gathering the Dragonballs for the sole purpose of wishing him back to life and bringing him back to Earth. He could say no, of course…but he knew what it was like to have someone he loved say that he didn't want to come back. And that was something he didn't want to put his friends through again. And that was a knife he wouldn't dare put through Goten or Videl.

That was the other aspect of this. He would never see Goten again. He was the only father figure his brother had ever had. If he didn't go back, who was left? Vegeta? Oh, that was a happy thought. He could imagine the things his brother would learn from the Saiyan Prince. "How to Blow Up a Planet in Ten Minutes or Less" was the class title that ran through his mind.

And…he would never see Videl again. Sure, he could see her, but he would never _see_ her. Plus, a broken bond was definitely not something he wanted to put her through. He'd seen how she was suffering now. That was bad enough.

Either way, he lost something.

There just wasn't an easy way out of this.

__

Dad, why didn't you just come back after the Games? Gohan wondered silently.

"Hey, Gohan, whatcha thinking about?" Goku asked suddenly, completely derailing Gohan's train of thought. "You looked really out of it for a minute."

"Huh? Oh…nothing…" Gohan replied, knowing full well that he was a terrible liar.

Obviously, his father didn't believe him. "Sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Okay…" Goku finally said, albeit dubiously. "If you say so…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

There was a general feeling of celebration amidst the Dragonball hunters, as the second one had been already been retrieved, and in record time, a mere two days after the first. And this one had been nearly as easy as the first one to find. It was stuck in the silt on a river's floor, and hadn't taken too terribly long to find and pull free, although there had been a near-accident in the process.

Krillen was playing catch with himself, tossing the two-star Dragonball straight up into the air and catching it in one hand. Piccolo was meditating, and Vegeta was just staring off into space, as though he was mulling over something in his mind.

Not that Videl minded at all. She was perfectly happy to be left alone with her own thoughts.

Retrieving that gem should have been easy. She could hold her breath for quite a long time when she had to. So why on Earth had she nearly drowned?

One minute, she was under the water, following a glimmer of something nearby, something that she would have sworn was orange. Then she felt dizzy, and her arms and legs felt as though they weighed a few tons. And then she was floating…the next thing she really remembered was someone heaving her up onto the bank and forcing the water out of her lungs.

When questioned, she had maintained (and quite convincingly at that) that she had struck her head on something beneath the water's surface and accidentally been knocked out. Vegeta hadn't looked convinced, and Piccolo looked a tiny bit skeptical, but they accepted it, although they wouldn't let her continue with her search, much to her disappointment.

The truth was that she had rather unceremoniously passed out underwater. She didn't know why she was so tired lately. If felt like her whole body just wanted to give up and stop working. But it had all started when Gohan had died.

She'd known he was gone before she'd even woken up. There had been that empty spot in the back of her mind where he'd usually been. That had been the red alarm, and being told point-blank only confirmed what her heart was already telling her.

And now she was on a quest to gather the objects that could bring Gohan back to her, with no guarantee that he would even come back when the wish was made. She hadn't voiced her fear to her fellow searchers, and they had shown no signs of having any doubts. So her worries had remained internal, and she kept her apprehension to herself.

Videl shivered, feeling tired all over again.

She just wanted this whole thing to be over. She wanted life to go back to normal, the way it had been before that thing had shown up and torn a part of her life away.

She wanted Gohan back.

And she wanted the tired feeling to go away.

AN: Ta-da! So Gohan's having kind of the same thoughts as Videl. Hmm…this could get very interesting. Just to let everyone know, from here on out, the narration will probably be skipping around a lot between groups. We've essentially got three groups:

the Dragonball hunters (Videl, Krillen, Piccolo, and Vegeta)

Goku, Gohan, and occasionally King Kai in Otherworld

those who are waiting for the searchers to get back (ChiChi, Bulma, Goten, Trunks, etc.)

Hope you'll check back for the next chapter, cuz I'm gonna go start it as soon as I finish this AN! Thanks a ton, and hasta la pasta!


	11. Help Me, Brother

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AN: Thank you, reviewers, I love you all! We're moving on, so I'm not going to babble on endlessly for once. I don't own DBZ, yadda yadda yadda, you know the drill.

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Chapter Eleven—Help Me, Brother

"Mom! I'm going over to Trunks' house!" Goten called on his way out the front door, already knowing that permission would be readily granted.

He was right. "Okay, sweetie. Be home in time for dinner."

Goten ran outside and pushed off the ground into flight, heading in the direction of West City and the world-famous Capsule Corporation. He was going to Trunks' house.

Eventually.

Right now, Goten just wanted a little time to be by himself. Since Gohan's death, he hadn't gotten any time to just think. There was always someone who wanted to know if he was okay and how he was holding up and such. He knew they were well-meaning and concerned, but most of the time he just wanted them to go away.

It was like the time his pet lizard had died when he was five. That had been his first real encounter with death, and the chibi had been very upset. At such a young age, he just didn't understand why his pet was gone. But luckily, Gohan had been there. Gohan had seen plenty of death by the time he was that age, and he seemed to know exactly what to say to make everything seem better.

__

Goten crawled into his brother's lap and hugged him tightly. "Where did Pudding go?"

He felt his brother tense with laughter he dared not release. Gohan had always chuckled at the lizard's name. But it was a brown lizard, the same color as chocolate pudding, so what wrong with naming it after something it looked like?

But Gohan didn't laugh. He just answered, "When something dies, its spirit goes to a different place called Otherworld."

"Like Daddy?" Goten asked.

"Yes, just like Daddy," Gohan replied. "Otherworld is a happy place if you were a good person…or lizard. And Pudding was a very good lizard, so I bet he's in the happiest part of Otherworld."

"So he's in a good place?" Goten queried.

"A very good place. I'm sure he's happy over there, and I'm sure he has lots of other lizards to play with, so he's not by himself either," Gohan said soothingly, giving the chibi one final hug before Goten skipped outside to play, feeling much better.

He sighed at the memory, so recent in his brief life. He really had felt better after talking about it with Gohan. Actually, that's what he did whenever he got upset—he went and talked to Gohan. And his brother could make just about anything better.

But with Gohan gone, he didn't have anyone that understood. There was no one who would just sit down across from him and talk to him like an intelligent person. They all treated him like a baby. And if there was one thing Goten hated more than almost anything else, it was being treated like a baby.

He touched down outside the limits of West City, just like he'd been taught to do so long ago. After all, all the little normal people might get a tiny bit panicked if a small child flew over their city. It was easier to just land away from the regular people and walk, rather than instill mass panic in a population that usually acted like herded sheep.

He entered the city on foot, ignoring anyone and everyone who looked at him. His eyes stayed on the pavement in front of him, not looking anywhere but at the ground. He didn't want to go to Capsule Corporation. Not just yet. He just needed a little time to himself.

His feet controlled his destination; he had no real route in mind, and just let his shoes decide where they were going. He wandered aimless up and down sidewalks, around corners, and finally, he came to intersection where he decided to cross the street.

Goten waited patiently for the light to change, and when it did, he stepped off the curb with the large crowd of adults who were also crossing. As he walked into the street, even though the cars were stopped and he was in absolutely no danger, he felt scared and alone.

__

Help me get across the street, Gohan, he found himself praying. _Please get me across the street okay, big brother._

When he stepped up onto the curb on the other side of the street, he heaved a sigh of relief, and let his feet go where they would. But when he came to another crossing, it was the same thing.

__

Please make sure I get across safe, big brother, he thought, wondering if Gohan could actually hear his silent pleading. He decided that maybe he could, since he was getting across the streets safely.

After what felt like ages of wandering around, he realized that the sun was starting to dip down lower in the sky. That was when he realized that he needed to go to Capsule Corporation, where he had told his mother he would be.

Goten started off towards the famous building, walking at first. But then he began to run, though he wasn't sure why. He felt scared, panicked, and more alone than ever.

Once again, he sent up that silent prayer to his older brother in the next world. _Please, please, please…if you can hear me, Gohan, get me there in one piece. Help me, brother._

When he came around a corner and found himself staring at the formidable dome of the Capsule Corporation building, he wanted to either sing or cry. But he did neither; he simply ran to the front door and rang the bell. Then he stepped back and waited patiently for his ring to be answered.

A few seconds passed before the doorknob rattled. The door opened, and Bulma looked down at him. At first she was smiling, but then her eyebrows drew together in a frown.

"Where have you been, young man?" she asked in a scolding tone. "Your mother called me ten minutes ago and said you were coming over here. She said you left about an hour and a half ago. It doesn't take that long to get here. Where were…" her voice trailed off as Goten finally burst into tears.

Maternal instinct overrode everything else, and she was on her knees in a heartbeat, gathering the chibi up in a tight hug. "Sweetie, sweetie…I'm sorry. We just didn't know where you were, and we were worried. Don't go wandering off by yourself like that ever again, all right?"

"Brother helped me," Goten sniffed. "Gohan made sure I got across the street safe and stuff. He got me here okay."

Bulma gave him another squeeze and scooped him up, carrying him into the house. "I know he did, Goten. I know. Now let's go call your mother."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Gohan stared down into the strange pool that allowed him a clear view of events on the planet Earth. He watched his brother wander around the city, and he heard his brother's silent prayer for help.

He still hadn't decided if he was going to go back or not, but this was definitely making things more difficult. Goten was so drastically different from the happy-go-lucky child he had been before his older brother's unfortunate demise. He'd changed in a way that almost defied words.

But in spite of the indecisiveness that had been plaguing him since he'd arrived in the Otherworld, Gohan smiled. _Don't worry, kiddo. I'll get you across that street in one piece. As long as I'm here, be it two weeks or two eternities, I'm always watching out for you._

AN: Poor Goten! It's like in the Buu saga, when they tell him Gohan's dead…it's so heartbreaking! Can you tell I like Goten? *sigh* Poor kid…did you like the nice fast update? Yeah! I don't quite know what's gonna happen in the next chapter, so it might be a couple days.


	12. Sickness

AN: Ah, a brand new chapter. Lovely. BTW, did you all like the fast update? Two days, two chapters, and I'm already almost done with Chapter 13. Not too bad, huh? Well, enjoy! I don't own DBZ.

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Chapter Twelve—Sickness

Gohan slammed into the ground, landing on his back. _Hard_.

His father touched down a few feet away and studied his son with a smile. "I still can't believe you stopped training, Gohan. But don't worry. We'll take care of that in no time."

"If this is taking care of it, maybe I'd rather stay out of shape," the teen commented sardonically. "Man, this hurts like—" he cut himself off at the look his father was giving him.

"Well, come on, let's keep going!" Goku jumped back into the air. Gohan leapt to his feet and followed suit, and the sparring match began anew.

Gohan was grateful for the distraction that sparring so conveniently provided. It meant that he didn't have to think about anything but landing punches. And when he couldn't think about his problems, he felt a lot better about things in general. He still didn't know what he was going to do once the Dragonballs were gathered and Shenron was summoned, and he knew that sooner or later he would have to sit down and make his decision. But as far as Gohan was concerned, there was nothing wrong with prolonging the inevitable, if only for a little while.

Unbeknownst to Gohan, his problem hadn't gone unnoticed. Goku had realized early on that there was something wrong, though he didn't know what. But a blind person could have seen that Gohan was fretting deeply over something. And it bothered him to see the kid so troubled. But there really wasn't anything he could do unless he was told what the problem was. And if Gohan didn't want to share whatever was worrying him, then that was his business and his decision.

And so the spar continued, while King Kai stood on the ground, watching, and enjoying what little food he'd been able to swipe out from beneath the flurry of Saiyan-wielded forks.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

ChiChi stared blankly into space; she didn't seem to hear Bulma speaking to her. Not that this was unusual, of course. Since Gohan's death, she had been in an almost trance-like state, a state from which she rarely emerged unless forcibly dragged.

Finally, Bulma got her attention, and the younger woman sat upright and looked around. "Huh?"

The blue-haired beauty sighed and repeated patiently, "I asked if you wanted some lunch."

"Oh. No thank you," ChiChi replied softly, and returned her attention to the wall.

Bulma looked at the wall for a minute, then gave up. There just wasn't anything interesting about it. And besides, if this was what ChiChi needed to do to keep from going into hysterics, then let her be.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Two in one day! Man, we'll have Gohan back in no time!" Krillen rejoiced

Four gleaming orange balls sat in a circle on the ground, sparkling. Since there were so many of them now, the gems were starting to glow.

Piccolo was acting much more friendly towards the other members of the search party since they'd started collecting the Dragonballs. He just wanted to wish his best friend back and finally put an end to the whole damn nightmare.

Even Vegeta seemed happier. Not like he would ever admit to giving a damn about something as trivial as the son of his sworn rival. No way in hell he'd admit that. But he was definitely doing his part. He had almost singlehandedly retrieved the seven-star ball a few hours ago.

That had been a fight. Someone else had it, and didn't want to give it up. It had taken a little bit of Vegeta's special abilities to…ah…_persuade_ the monster who was hoarding the Dragonball to part with it.

Videl secretly wondered if the fire had been put out yet. Since she'd nearly drowned, she'd been treated more like a glass ornament than a person, and really didn't get to participate in any of the fun stuff. And it was pretty annoying. She hated feeling worthless. After all, she'd come along on this expedition to help them find the Dragonballs and wish Gohan back as soon as possible. But how could she help if they wouldn't let her do anything?

But what was bothering her more was the bouts of lightheadedness she had started experiencing recently. One minute she would be just fine; the next, she would have to steady herself to keep from falling on her face. The rest of the time, she felt completely normal. But the sickness, as she thought of it, was getting more and more frequent, and it was only a matter of time before she just passed out.

If that happened, the guys would probably send her home, and that was the last thing she wanted.

She stared at the precious gems on the ground and sighed. Three more. They only needed to find three more, and then this would be over. She could stop worrying and freaking herself out by wondering if she would ever see him again. And she hoped that it would happen soon.

Slowly, she stood up. The guys, who had been studying the radar and trying to plot out the course of action for the next Dragonball, stopped talking and looked at her.

Videl felt the color drain from her face, and her hands started shaking. _Oh no, not now…_

She turned quickly, which turned out to be a very bad idea. Her pulse was pounding in her temples, and she couldn't even see straight anymore. As long as she could lay down, she'd be fine. She just had to move away from the guys and fall over.

She took a few shaky steps, and realized she was weaving; in the space of about thirty seconds, Videl had become completely incapable of walking a straight line. And they noticed it. How could they not? She was swerving all over the place, like a drunk driver trying to drive on an interstate.

"Videl, are you okay?" Krillen asked. He sounded concerned.

"Fine…just fine…" she said; the woozy feeling tripled, and she felt her knees buckle. "I just need…to lay down for a minute…I'm fine…don't worry…"

Those were the last words she managed to say before Videl collapsed.

AN: Short chapter, I know, and I'm sorry. And I know I'm zipping through the Dragonball search, but I can't write fight scenes at all, so trying to have them fight for them or something probably would result in this story being put on the back burner for another five months, and I don't want to do that. BTW, Videl's problem will be explained. Just wait and see ^-^


	13. Pros and Cons

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AN: Guess what? We're going back to Gohan for a while! Hooray! I don't own DBZ, but I do own DBH. So there *sticks her tongue out*

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Chapter Thirteen—Pros and Cons

The teenager stared in horror at the pool beneath him. His father was taking a nap under a tree nearby, so Gohan had a little time to himself. So he'd opted to do what he usually did when he had free time around this place. He went to watch the others through the pool.

He watched Videl stand up, and he watched her fall. And he watched Krillen try to revive her, with no success whatsoever. They picked her up and flew off; he could only assume that they were headed for home, because he tore his eyes away from the sight beneath him.

He still hadn't made a decision. They were three Dragonballs away, and he didn't have the slightest clue as to what he was going to do. But time was rapidly running out for Son Gohan to make his final decision: to go back to Earth, or stay in Otherworld with his father?

"Still thinking it over?" a nasal voice asked.

He whirled around. "Oh…hey, King Kai. What's up?"

"Just wondering if you'd made a decision yet," the martial arts master asked cheerfully, sitting down next to Gohan.

"A decision?" Gohan played dumb, worried that his father might hear about his conflict.

"About whether or not you're going back to Earth, right?"

Gohan's attempt at playing stupid was shot down, and he stared at the little blue creature. "How…how did you know?"

"Your father noticed that there was something bothering you, but he didn't know what," King Kai shrugged. "So I just put a few things together and made a lucky guess."

"Oh."

"So have you made a decision yet?"

"Not yet. And I don't think I will anytime soon. There's just too much to consider," Gohan sighed.

"Try making a list," King Kai suggested.

"A list?"

"I thought you were supposed to be the smart one in the group!" the kai admonished. "A list of pros and cons. Then compare the lists and decide based on that."

"Okay…I guess that makes sense," Gohan agreed. "Let's see…well, the pros of going back are that I get to be with my friends and family again, right?"

"Go on."

"And…that's about it," Gohan frowned. "Okay…let's try the cons of going back. School, chores, never see Dad again, getting whacked with a frying pan everytime I put even one toe out of line…" he went on in that vein for what felt like a long time. When he finally stopped, he looked at King Kai and actually smiled. "Well, I guess that kind of settles it, huh? One pro to a million cons. That's it. I'm staying here."

"You only listed the pros and cons of going back," someone commented from behind him. "You didn't list the pros and cons of staying here."

Gohan froze.

Behind him, Goku chuckled. "Yes, I was eavesdropping a little bit, and I'm going to throw a little advice into this conversation. Make a pros and cons list of staying here."

The teenager blinked. "Well…the pro side is getting away from everything I said before."

"But what about the cons?" King Kai asked, taking up Goku's lead.

"You'll never see Goten or Videl or your mom or any of those guys again," Goku pointed out, dropping to the ground next to his son. "I mean, you'll be able to see them in the pool, but you'll never get to talk to them or eat your mother's cooking or argue with Videl or play with Goten or anything. And try to imagine what you'll feel like after you say you don't want to leave. Two month after the wish is made. A year. Two years. A lifetime, maybe? How will you feel then? Will you miss any of them? Your family? Your friends? Maybe even school and chores?"

Gohan didn't answer.

"I'm going to be very, very blunt," Goku continued. "You can't stay here, Gohan. There are too many people on Earth who care too much about you for you to do this to them. And there's so much you could still do before you make a permanent journey over here. You just can't give up your life like that."

Gohan turned his head and stared at his father incredulously. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "You did!"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Gohan would have given almost anything to snatch them back again and hide them away forever. Especially when he saw the look on his father's face. But it was too late. It had been said, and now the feelings he'd done his best to bury since the Cell Games came swimming to the surface. They had to be voiced. It was now or never.

"You left, Dad. You left us behind," Gohan said levelly, not allowing anything to color his tone of voice. "You got to make your own choice, and you chose to stay, when there were plenty of people on Earth who cared a ton about you, and when there was still a lot you could have done, too. But you gave up your life, Dad, and we got left in the dust. There's a word for that. It's called hypocritical."

Goku's jaw was hanging off his face, as was King Kai's. Apparently, this was not the direction they had expected this conversation to go, and from Goku's expression, he hadn't realized any of this.

Gohan stood up and dusted himself off, ignoring his father's horrified expression. "Well, you know what, Dad? You got to make your choice, and now it's my turn to make mine. I decide what I do. Not you. So just let me figure this one out myself."

He turned on his heel and strolled off; it was a struggle to keep from breaking into an open run just to get away. Those were things that he never wanted to tell his father.

Once he was a safe distance away, Gohan collapsed under a tree and put his face in his hands. "Great, Gohan, that was just wonderful."

The lists he'd made were still fresh in his mind, lists of pros and cons for staying or going. And when he got right down to it, the lists were equal.

Each of his friends' faces flashed through his mind. If he stayed he would never see them again, but he would be able to stay with the father he'd lost so much time with. Even though he was kind of upset with his dad at that moment, if someone could have waved a magic wand or something to bring Son Goku back to life at that instant, he would have taken the opportunity in a heartbeat.

But that just wasn't an option. He could either have his father back, or the rest of his family and friends. Not both. Even if they gathered the Dragonballs, they couldn't brink his dad back to the living world, assuming Goku would even consent to the wish.

"What are you doing over here, kid?"

He turned and looked up at the imposing green figure now looming over him. He managed a smile. "Oh. Hey, Pikkon."

Pikkon leaned against the tree Gohan was sitting under. "Thinking things over?"

"Yeah, and it's not easy!" the teen sighed. "I don't know what to do. And if you suggest a pros and cons list, I might have to strangle you."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Pikkon replied, sounding amused. "Problems with your father?"

"You wouldn't believe."

"King Kai said that they're going to wish you back. True?"

"Very true. That's my problem. I don't know if I want to go back."

"Tough decision."

"I'm not even close to making a choice," Gohan threw his hands up in the air. It was amazing how much Pikkon reminded him of Piccolo; they even looked a little bit alike. The deceased green fighter was proving a very good ear when Gohan just needed to vent.

"How much time do you have?"

"Not much. I think I have three Dragonballs to go, and then it's decision time."

"What do you have over there that's worth going back for?" Pikkon asked.

Gohan glared at him. "Sounds like a pros and cons list to me."

The green warrior shook his head quickly. "No, just a simple question. What do you have over there that you consider worth living for?"

"Well…" Gohan thought for a minute. "The most important people in the world to me are my friends and my family. Goten and Mom and Videl and Piccolo…and I don't want to give them up. I can see them if I stay here, but never _see_ them. But if I leave, I lose Dad all over again. That nearly destroyed me the first two times it happened, Pikkon. I don't know if I can go through it again."

"The choice is ultimately yours, but let me give you a word of advice," Pikkon pushed off the tree and stood up straight. "Something my first teacher said to me. 'He is wise who will give up that which he cannot keep to get that which he cannot lose.' Just think on it for a while. I'm sure it will come to you."

With that, the green fighter left Gohan to his thoughts, jumbled as they were.

__

Great, now I have to figure out what that_ means!_ the teen lamented. _It just doesn't make sense! What do I have to give up that would get me something I can't lose?_

He was going over the possibilities in his head when he heard his father's panicked voice. That got his attention like almost nothing else would. Son Goku almost never got panicked. If it had his father worked up, it had to be serious.

Momentarily forgetting about the words they'd exchanged earlier, Gohan jumped to his feet and watched his father run towards him. "What? What is it?"

Goku's face reflected the panic in his voice. "Gohan…it's Videl."

AN: Cliffie! I'm really not sure about Pikkon's character, and I needed someone else in there, so I just used him. Don't like it? Sorry, not changing it! Next chapter, Videl's increasingly serious problem, and the continued hunt for the Dragonballs! I haven't even started the next chapter, and I'm not going to think about it right now. Boy's basketball team is at the first round of the state tournament, playing against the school we beat out last year for the state title. I'm gonna go listen to the rest of the game, which will be over by the time you read this AN. Right now, that's what's on my mind. I'll update when I can!


	14. Videl's Problem

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AN: The basketball team lost. Crap. Oh well, we were champs last year, so it's not that bad, I guess. But enough of that. On with the story! This chapter, all you lucky readers out there finally get to find out exactly what is wrong with Videl! One of you said you thought you knew, but you didn't give a specific guesss. Now you can find out if you were right! Yay!

I don't own DBZ. Just my lil' ol' plotline.

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Chapter Fourteen—Videl's Problem

The teenager's head tossed back and forth on the pillow, as if she was in the throes of a fevered dream. When she finally stopped, she was panting in her sleep; perspiration drenched her face and matted her dark bangs to her forehead.

"I just don't know what to do," Bulma murmured, wiping Videl's forehead. "Ever since the guys brought her back, she's gotten worse. Now we can't even get her to wake up. And I can't figure out what's wrong with her. She's got a fever, but that's it."

"And I don't think she had a fever when she passed out," Krillen supplied. "She seemed just fine. Maybe a little tired, but hey, who isn't?"

Vegeta, Piccolo, and Krillen had gotten back to West City in record time. Videl had still been unconscious, which was anything but a good sign. With a little help from Bulma, they'd set her up in one of Capsule Corporation's many spare rooms. Now they were waiting, and trying desperately to figure out what was wrong.

The only cheering note thus far were the four Dragonballs they'd already collected. And even nicer was the relative ease with which they were being gathered. At this rate, the wish would be made before the end of the week.

But in the meantime, there were slightly more pressing matters to deal with.

Videl groaned softly, then retreated back whatever nightmare was plaguing her. She started tossing and turning again, her face a mask of something Bulma couldn't quite put a finger on. Her face was ghostly pale, and if she hadn't been moving around so much, she would have almost looked dead.

Bulma sighed inwardly. Well, _there_ was a cheering thought.

"Her fever keeps getting higher," Bulma said in confusion. "And she's still not waking up."

Out of the corner of her eye, the blue-haired woman noticed Vegeta standing in the doorway. He was watching the scene with an almost knowing look. He finally noticed Bulma watching him, and nodded slowly, then turned and stepped out of the room.

She looked down at Videl one last time, then headed for the door. "If anything happens, tell me right away. Understood?" she ordered the men still in the room, and left upon affirmation.

Vegeta had wandered a few doors down into another spare bedroom, and had positioned himself with his back to the door, staring out the window. He didn't seem to notice her entrance, but she had years of experience with his mannerisms behind her, and she knew better.

"You know what's wrong with her," Bulma demanded. It was a question spoken as a statement, because she already knew that Vegeta had some idea as to what was going on.

"I think I do," Vegeta said calmly, though he looked tense.

"This isn't something I'm going to like, is it?"

"No, it isn't," he turned his head partway to look at her with his peripheral vision. "We need to get those last three Dragonballs as soon as possible. Immediately, if not sooner."

"Why? What's the rush?" Bulma asked in confusion. "We have a year until the Dragon can't bring Gohan back to life. Why do we have to hurry?"

"Because if we don't, that girl probably won't live through the end of the week," Vegeta replied bluntly. "And I'd love to hear you explain that to her idiot father. I'm also fairly certain that it would be considered natural death as well, so no wish to the Dragon would be able to bring her back."

Bulma's blood ran cold at the words 'won't live.' She gaped at him. "What do you mean, she won't live? Why would Videl die? And what does it have to do with Gohan?"

"They're bonded," Vegeta turned the rest of the way around to look at her; he leaned back against the wall and folded his arms. "When the br—Gohan died, the bond was broken. It's an unnaturally tight bond for their age, so she probably knew he was gone before anyone told her. There's emotional trauma, without a doubt, though she most likely doesn't realize it. But even the fact that he's coming back can't stop what she's doing unconsciously."

"Which is?" Bulma asked hesitantly; she already knew, instinctively, that she was not going to like this answer at all.

"She's dying," Vegeta closed his eyes, "by simply lacking the will to live. It's really not difficult, especially in cases of trauma like this. The bond is shattered, there's a hole in her heart, and she's responding to it by unknowingly willing herself to die. It's that simple."

"Doesn't sound simple to me," Bulma murmured as the room began to sway around her.

"You'd be surprised. And like I said, if she dies now, it's of a broken heart. I don't think the Dragon won't bring her back if she dies from this. The fact that she went running around on the Dragonball search only made it worse, since she was just wearing herself out."

"The only way to save her is to bring Gohan back?"

"Precisely. Revive the bond," Vegeta nodded, though he didn't reopen his eyes. "Heal the broken heart, and the trauma should go away. Even after he's back, it will take time. But I've seen incidences like this before, and if he doesn't get his sorry halfbreed ass back in the next few days…the results will definitely not be pretty."

Bulma shuddered, ignoring the comment about Gohan being a 'sorry halfbreed,' and walked out of the room without saying anything else. At least now they knew what they were up against. They were up against a teenager's broken heart, and the opponent they had to fight was time.

She walked back into the room where Videl was still tossing and turning, caught up in a feverish nightmare. Her eyes were squeezed shut, as though in pain.

"Well?" Piccolo asked pointedly.

Bulma didn't look at him as she answered; her eyes stayed on Videl. "Get the last three Dragonballs, and do it fast. We don't have much time."

The Namekian quirked a brow at the answer, or lack of, but Bulma didn't elaborate.

Still moving around, Videl groaned again. But this time, the sound took the form of a single desperate word. "Gohan…"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was the same dream as before, only it kept repeating itself, and she was trapped by it.

The dragon was summoned, and she screamed the wish, only to have her prayer rebuffed by the object of the wish. Gohan appeared, and spoke so harshly to her.

Just as he would finish talking to her in that manner so uncharacteristic for him, she would fall for what felt like a long time, only to land in a scene that looked exactly like the last. And the dream would begin anew, repeating itself over and over again.

She was trapped in the cycle of her nightmare, and helpless to pull free of it.

And it was so warm. She was so tired.

Videl struggled in vain against the weight of her terrible dreams, and at the end of one, as she fell into the seemingly endless blackness beneath her, she managed to whisper one word.

"Gohan…"

Then she landed, hard, just as she knew she would. And the dream started again.

Videl fell through the endless circle of her nightmares, wondering if it would ever end. She wondered where she was, and she wondered why Gohan had left her.

And she wondered when she would see him again.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Far away, a certain demi-Saiyan was watching, looking horrified at Videl's condition.

But at Vegeta's blunt explanation of what was going to happen if he wasn't revived soon, every speck of color drained from Gohan's face. His eyes widened, and he made a few strange gasping noises.

Goku watched, equally horrified, though for him it was a mixture of the situation on Earth and Videl's possible fate, and his son's reaction.

"Gohan?" Goku asked hesitantly. "What are you going to do?"

The teenager didn't answer. He was completely fixated on what was in front of him. Every curse he'd ever heard in his eighteen years of life ran through his head.

__

If Videl dies, that's one less thing I have to give up…but I can't do that! I can't just let her die! What the hell kind of person would I be? Gods, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near me if I did something like that! Oh…damn, damn, damn…this just made things a lot more complicated. And they're going out right now for the last three Dragonballs. Oh gods, what the hell am I going to do?

AN: Uh-oh…what's gonna happen? Hehehe…stay tuned for the next "exciting" installment of my little story. I don't know how much longer this story's gonna be. We're probably getting close to the end.


	15. The Last Dragonballs

**AN:** We're almost done here. Please don't kill the author if this story doesn't end exactly the way you want it to, okay? I write my stories the way I want them to go. I can't please everyone.

I don't own DBZ! It's not mine! I do own the computer this is typed on, though. No wait—my parents own that. Aw, poop on a stick!

****

Chapter Fifteen—The Last Dragonballs

"Well? Are we almost there?" Vegeta growled.

"Almost," Krillen sighed. This was, what, the fifth time he'd been asked in the past five minutes? Or was it the sixth? He gave up counting. "Geez, you guys. Patience is a virtue."

"That we don't have," Piccolo replied sharply. "Just get us there already."

"I can't make us fly anymore!" the short man protested. "Calm down. We'll be there in a minute. Just keep cool, and try to be patient."

The three Dragonball hunters had left not too long ago. Bulma had left the room, presumably for some conference with Vegeta. She'd come back in moments later, and immediately set about giving directions. She'd called Yamcha up and sent him on a mission to go get ChiChi and bring her to Capsule Corporation. Then she'd summoned her own parents to sit in the room with Videl and make sure the teenager was comfortable; they were also given instructions to get Bulma immediately if the girl should wake. That done, she had issued the order to the three remaining Dragonball hunters, in no uncertain terms, to get their asses out there and find the last three gems so they could make the wish and get the whole ordeal over with.

Vegeta had taken a few seconds to marvel at his mate's efficiency. This was one of those times when Bulma simply let the executive in her come to the front, and it was an incredibly fortunate thing that her inner exec was an extremely efficient manager. But, in accordance with her orders, he'd left with the other two to continue the Dragonball search.

When he had walked out the door, Bulma had been pacing back and forth with a cordless phone in her hand, muttering to herself. He picked up, via their bond, that she was in heavy debate as to whether or not she should call Hercule Satan and alert him to the condition of his daughter. She was his daughter, and thus he did have a right to know what the situation was. But chances were that he would storm in, make a scene, and refuse to listen to the "fairy tales" and "trickery" concerning the Dragonballs. They would never convince him as to the legitimacy of the story.

But now Bulma was far away, and Vegeta wondered if she'd made that phone call or not. He had mentioned her dilemma to his fellow hunters, and they had both felt that alerting Hercule should be put off for as long as was humanly possible.

"Down there!" Krillen called, pointing with the hand that wasn't holding the radar. Immediately, they dropped altitude and swooped down towards the ground; they landed easily, and peered around.

It was a forest this time, a heavy wooded area. So thick were the trees that a person couldn't see beyond a few feet in any direction before the view was blocked by tree trunks.

"It's in this forest somewhere. Give me a second, and I'll get a better reading," Krillen said, tapping the button on top of the radar. A frown crossed his face, making lines appear in his forehead, as he studied the screen. Then a smile broke on his face, and he pointed to his left. "That way."

And so they went, following Krillen's directions as he gave them. His attention was focused entirely on the radar, so it was mostly up to Vegeta and Piccolo to actually find the ball itself.

"Ugh," the Namekian groaned, shoving branches out of the way. "Why can't they ever be in an easy place, like those ones in the desert?"

"Be grateful, Piccolo," Krillen admonished, not taking his eyes off of the radar screen. "This is without a doubt the easiest Dragonball search I've ever been on. Only one that's actually been a struggle to find. That's pretty good for this kind of thing. So quit complaining!"

Piccolo snorted, but said nothing else.

Vegeta, though, got sick of having branches snapping in his face, and decided to do something about it. He raised a hand and with no further ado, he fired a few well-placed ki blasts into the trees, clearing himself a very nice path.

Krillen opened his mouth to protest, but he was silenced as Piccolo followed Vegeta's example and also cleared a path for himself through the trees. The short man groaned and clapped one hand over his eyes, as if to shield himself from the sight. "Guys! What are you doing?" he basically whined. But his protests fell on deaf ears–quite a remarkable feat, Saiyan and Namekian hearing being what it was.

"Well? Where is it?" Vegeta demanded.

Still grumbling, Krillen looked at the radar. "Right down your little road."

Vegeta smirked, and he and Piccolo headed in the direction.

Krillen glared after them. "Yes, go find the Dragonball, you despoilers of gardens..." he muttered, quoting something he had once read somewhere.

By the time they found the ball, buried beneath a pile of trees that Vegeta and Piccolo had knocked over, Krillen was in a very, very bad mood.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You didn't have to blow up half the forest!" Krillen was still protesting half an hour later as they zipped towards the sixth Dragonball. The last three were in relatively close proximity to each other, so it wouldn't be long at all.

"Would you shut up already?" Vegeta finally snapped at him. "Gods, what are you? My mother? Sorry, but she died quite some time ago, and I have no need of a replacement."

Piccolo rolled his eyes. "Would you check that damn radar again and tell us where we stand?"

"Maybe another ten minutes ahead, and then we'll need to head down," he called back.

"Okay, Vegeta, since we've got a little time, why don't you tell us whatever it is that you told Bulma," Piccolo said with deceptive calmness. "I assume it has something to do with whatever's got Videl."

"It does," the Saiyan replied, looking straight ahead. Krillen moved in a little closer so his simple human hearing could pick up the conversation.

Piccolo studied Vegeta's expressin for a minute. "She's dying, isn't she?"

Krillen gasped, but the Saiyan nodded. "Yes, she is. I'm going to say to you what I said to the woman. If Gohan doesn't get his sorry halfbreed ass back to this world soon...we will have to dig two graves instead of one. The bond is broken, and she's unconsciously death-willing herself."

"Is that actually possible?" Krillen asked.

"You bet your ass it is. She wore herself out, going after the Dragonballs with us, and that just made everything worse. Now we're going against time."

The conversation pretty much ended there, and each of them mulled over it until Krillen called that they needed to head back down to the ground and search there.

Much to Krillen's delight, the sixth Dragonball, this one marked with a single star, was lying right out in the open, amidst a pile of stones standing along the edge of a river. The orange stood out like a sore thumb among the brown and gray of the regular rocks.

Spirits were high as the three hunters took off into the air once more, following the radar, hot on the trail of the seventh and final Dragonball.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Mrs. Briefs patted at the teenager's forehead with a damp cloth, then turned to her daughter. "I can't believe you wouldn't call this poor girl's father, sweetie."

"We'll call him once we get the Dragonballs," Bulma rubbed at her temples. It felt like the beginning of a migraine. The phone lay on a nearby table, momentarily forgotten. "If we tell him that Videl's dying, he'll come bursting in here, making a scene when there isn't anything to worry about at the moment. And then there's the possibility of lawsuits and the like...it's just too big of a hassle at the moment. I've got too much on my mind as it is without worrying about Hercule Satan trying to destroy me."

"If you say so," the blonde woman shrugged, still pressing the cool rag against Videl's forehead.

The door burst open then, making both women jump. ChiChi flew into the room, with Yamcha hot on her heels. She looked panicked.

"Is everything all right?" ChiChi asked desperately. Her eyes fell on Videl, and widened.

"For the moment, yes," Bulma said, trying to sound soothing. "But we're not sure for how long it'll be all right. The guys should be back soon, I hope, with the last three Dragonballs. We'll make the wish, and get Gohan back in your arms. When he's revived, it should pull Videl out of this."

"Oh, I hope you're right," ChiChi said, biting her lip nervously. By the bed, Mrs. Briefs was humming lightly. She didn't really seem to realize exactly how serious this was.

Trunks poked his head in through the door. "Mom, Goten's crying again. He says now he's gonna lose both his brother and his sister."

"Poor Goten," Bulma sighed. "This has been harder on him than anyone else."

"I'll take care of him," ChiChi said with a surprising resolve. "After all, I'm his mother."

On the bed, Videl's breathing was already starting to grow shallow, and her face was still pain-twisted and fearful.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Got it!" Krillen shouted triumphantly. "Pull me up!"

He felt a tug on his legs, and a few seconds later, he was back above ground with the precious seventh Dragonball in his hands. He counted the stars.

Four. The four-star ball. There was only word to describe that.

__

Ironic.

This one had been a little tricky to get. It had been washed down into an underground cavern, and ended up wedged into some rocks. Getting it out had taken some effort, but in the end, the hunters were victorious. They had all seven Dragonballs.

"We'd better head back," Vegeta said shortly. He surrounded himself with a white aura of energy and took of into the sky, following the familiar ki signals towards West City.

Piccolo took the Dragonball out of Krillen's hand and studied it for a minute. Then he smiled, ever so slightly. "Let's get going. We have a wish to make, and not much time in which to make it.

The three flew back, each feeling an extraordinary sense of victory.

Gohan was as good as back.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Gohan!"

The voice stole the teen's attention for a minute, allowing a clear opening for Goku to land a punch right on his nose. Gohan flew backwards and hit the ground hard.

"Whoops!" the Saiyan rubbed the back of his head in a characteristic gesture. "Sorry 'bout that, Gohan! But you should be paying attention."

Rolling his eyes in a typical teenage manner, Gohan looked at the messanger–namely, Pikkon, who looked a little panicked. "What's up?"

"They've got them," the green fighter said.

Gohan was confused. "Got what?"

"The Dragonballs. They're going to wish you back as soon as they get back to the Capsule place."

The teen felt his jaw drop, and the color drained from his face. Of course he'd been mulling over this upcoming decision almost nonstop, but all of a sudden he actually had to have a choice made. "How long?" he asked nervously.

Pikkon shook his head. "Not much."

Gohan swallowed hard, and cursed softly under his breath in Namekian, one of many things he had picked up from his first mentor, Piccolo.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The seven glowing orbs lay in a messy circle on the ground, a sharp contrast to the neat green grass that made up the front lawn of Capsule Corporation.

Around the Dragonballs was gathered an odd assortment of people. Odd enough that they drew strange looks from passers-by, anyway.

Bulma stood over the Dragonballs and held out her hands. Swallowing hard, she took a deep breath, and called out, "I SUMMON YOU, SHENRON! COME FORTH AND GRANT MY WISHES!"

The sky went dark, and in an explosion of light, the formidable form of Shenron, the Eternal Dragon, snaked its way into the sky and solidified.

The light flashed through the window of a certain room in the Capsule Corporation complex, and across the pale face of a certain teenage girl. The brightness danced across Videl's face, but she did not wake. She didn't even flinch at the light in her eyes.

Outside, people were stopping and pointing in awe and fear at the strange beast that had taken over the skies. Many ran indoors in an attempt to hide; after all, if this was something that had come to destroy them all, best be out of sight. Just in case.

"WHAT IS YOUR FIRST WISH?" the dragon boomed, red eyes flashing. "CHOOSE CAREFULLY, FOR IT WILL COME TRUE!"

Bulma swallowed again, and called up, "I wish Son Gohan back to life!"

Shenron's eyes flashed again.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In Otherworld, Gohan felt the tug.

"Gohan, you have to go back!" Goku protested.

"It is your choice," Pikkon said.

Gohan went over the dreaded pros and cons in his mind again. He thought of Videl, lying near death because of his absence. He thought of his mother and brother. He thought of his friends. He thought of his life. He thought of what he could do there.

But he also thought of what he could do here, and he thought about what there was for him here. And to his mind, they seemed to balance out.

"Gohan!" he could barely hear King Kai's voice calling to him.

"All right!" he shouted. The masses around him fell silent. "I decided..."

With the Eternal Dragon waiting for his word, Gohan announced his decision.

AN: Wow! This turned out a lot longer than I thought it would! I really didn't think I would get this much done in this one chapter! Wow! BTW, do you like my lovely little cliffhanger? Haha. Let's see how it ends, because the next chapter may very well be the last one. Or it might now...I don't know yet.


	16. Gohan's Choice

****

AN: I'm really really mad as I RETYPE this. Gods above and below…I had a beautiful chapter typed up. I mean, I was extremely proud of that chapter. And then…it got lost. We'll leave it at that. So I'm redoing it. I hope it comes out as good as the original…*sigh* Oh well. I don't own DBZ.

****

Chapter Sixteen—Gohan's Choice

Gohan's halo vanished.

He stared at the ground for what seemed like a very long time, then lifted his eyes to look at his friends. But surprisingly, he was smiling.

After a brief moment of surprise, most of the Otherworld fighters smiled back.

"Gohan."

The teenager turned and looked his father straight in the eye without hesitation or pretense. "Dad."

Goku sighed. "What decided it for you?"

Gohan's smile grew softer at the question. "I won't let Videl die like that. Not because of me. And I won't do that to Goten or Mom under any circumstances. I don't want to leave this place. I really like it here. But I have a certain amount of responsibility to my friends and family. And," for some reason, he blushed a little at this point, "there are a few things I have to do first."

"These things that you still have to do…do any of them involve a certain young lady?" Pikkon teased. Gods, he was going to miss having that kid around. Gohan had been a breath of fresh air to the fighters residing in Otherworld, with his youth and experience.

The teen's face grew even redder. "Maybe…" he stammered, hiding his real thoughts. _And I realized that I can't do to them what Dad did. It nearly killed me when Dad didn't want to come back, and I won't do that to Goten. I wouldn't put Mom through that kind of agony again for anything, and the rest of them don't deserve that kind of thing either. I know what it feels like to try and wish someone back and have them say no. I refuse to do that to them._

He desperately wanted to voice those thoughts, but he didn't dare. He just couldn't bear the idea of leaving his father behind with angry words like those hanging between them.

"Gohan, you'd better hurry," Goku said calmly. "Videl's not getting any better, and we don't want to have to go through this all over again to bring her back, do we?"

"If the dragon could even bring her back," Gohan retorted. "I'll miss you, Dad. I'll miss all of you, actually. You guys are awesome!"

The masses chuckled. The blessed few who had been allowed onto the training grounds of the Otherworld had assembled upon hearing that one of their number would be returning to the world of the living. This was not an everyday thing, after all.

And I'll miss you," Goku's calm shell cracked the tiniest bit. "Take care of everyone for me, especially your mother, and tell Goten I said hi, okay?"

But Gohan didn't have time to reply. He was being pulled along at an insane speed by a unseen force towards an unknown destination. The wind rustled his clothing frantically and whistled past his ears. He closed his eyes and just let himself be pulled along.

Still standing amidst the training grounds in Otherworld, Goku stared at the place where his son had stood merely seconds before. Gohan had made the right choice, of course. It had been nice, getting reacquainted with his son, and he had enjoyed their time together, but there was no getting around the fact that the kid had to go back. Still, Goku was surprised at the pang he felt at the absence.

"Goodbye," he whispered. But the word was lost in the wind.

Gohan was going home.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In a dazzling burst of light, the seven magical Dragonballs shot into the sky and flew off in seven different directions, like comets soaring across the darkened sky. That done, the sky returned to its normal color for this time of afternoon, a clear azure blue; the sun resumed its place of honor in the heavens.

Everyone watched in awe as the Dragonballs disappeared, especially Goten, Trunks, and a considerable number of gawkers who had stopped in the street and on the sidewalks to stare at the beastly form of the dragon that had formed in the sky. After all, they had never seen this spectacle before. But when the monster was gone and the light show had finished, the passers-by went on their ways, no longer paying any attention to the odd-looking group standing on the Capsule Corp lawn.

But for the group who had summoned the dragon in the first place, their eyes fell to the ground, where a young man had replaced the circle of Dragonballs on the grass. And for a long, long moment, the world ceased to move.

Goten was the first to regain his ability of motion. He had been clinging to his mother's leg, watching the show with old tears staining his face and new ones forming in his eyes. But now he jumped out from behind his mother and dove forward towards the brother he thought he had lost, blindly certain that his brother would catch him, which he did.

"Big brother! You're back!" Goten squealed, dancing on the knife-edge between laughter and tears. He wrapped his small arms around his brother's neck in the tightest hug he could muster up.

"Hey, squirt. Long time, no see," Gohan said amiably, returning the chibi's hung wholeheartedly. "Just don't choke me, okay? I just got back!"

"Okay! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Goten cried, obviously afraid that he had already angered his beloved and newly revived older brother.

"Goten, it's okay!" Gohan patted the chibi's back reassuringly, but it was too late; the kid was already in tears. "Hey. It's okay, squirt," he said softly, like it was a secret to be shared only between them. "I'm sorry you had to go through this, and I'll do my very best to make sure it never happens again. I'm not going anywhere for a very long time."

Goten raised tear-filled eyes and sniffled. "Promise?"

"Promise. And I don't break promises."

That was good enough for Goten. A smile, as bright as daylight, broke on the chibi's face, and he hugged his brother again, though being extra careful not to choke him.

It was then that ChiChi finally regained her powers of movement, and launched herself at her older son. "Gohan!"

He caught her easily and returned her hug with one arm, as he was still holding Goten with the other. She was in hysterics, but he was surprisingly calm. Then she stepped back and looked him up and down. Tears well in her eyes as she realized that he was wearing an exact copy of his father's trademark blue and orange gi—after all, he needed something to wear during their training sessions in Otherworld. "You look just like your father!" she sobbed, burying her face in the front of his gi.

Like he had done with Goten, he patted her back and tried to be as reassuring as possible. "Mom, it's okay. I'm just fine."

The rest of the crew seemed to take this as their cue, and joined the fray. Gohan had quite a time trying to hug everyone and thank everyone for bringing him back, considering that Goten absolutely refused to let go of him.

After a few minutes of watching his brother being welcomed back, Goten remembered something, and his expression grew very serious. "Brother? Videl's sick."

The group got very quiet. Gohan nodded. "I know. And I'm going to see what I can do about that. I think I might be able to make her better."

"Is it gonna be like Sleeping Beauty?" Goten chirped excitedly. "Are you gonna kiss her, and she'll wake up, and you'll live happily ever after and stuff?"

Gohan very nearly choked. "We'll see. I don't know yet."

"Kay!" Goten squealed.

"Gohan?" Bulma said seriously. She was standing outside the cluster of welcome backers and well wishers, and was waiting next to the door that led into the Capsule Corporation complex.

He nodded at her, then pushed through the group and headed for the door. But there was a problem: Goten still wouldn't let go. He wanted to come along. So finally, after a few minutes of discussion, they just let him tag along.

They followed Bulma into the building. She walked down a few hallways, then stopped by a partially opened door. "She's in there," she pointed towards the room.

"Got it."

"Bring her back, okay?" Bulma smiled.

Gohan nodded. "I'll do my best."

"I'll take this for a minute," she plucked Goten off of Gohan's shoulders and pulled him along with her. "Do what you gotta do."

Goten went with her somewhat unwillingly, and kept calling back over his shoulder for his big brother to bring his big sister back. He waved, but as soon as they disappeared around a corner, the smile vanished from the teen's face. Steeling himself for whatever awaited him, Gohan slipped into the room and pushed the door closed behind him.

Videl was laid out on a bed, like a princess in a fairy tale, waiting for her prince to come and rescue her, except for the fact that fairy tales never described the fair maiden as being tucked in beneath a few layers of blankets. Her face was pale, pain-twisted, and perspiration dotted her forehead. The room was dark, except for the few beams of sunlight that danced in through the window, creating a few bright spots on the floor.

Gohan stayed by the door for a few seconds, then walked across the room and stood by the bed. He really didn't know what he was supposed to do. Finally, he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Hi, Videl," he said out loud, feeling more than a little silly. "Goten told me you were sick." He reached out with one hand and brushed her bangs away from her face. Her forehead was as hot as a branding iron. His other hand took one of hers and held it.

As he talked to her, prattling aimlessly about his exploits in the Otherworld, he reached not with his hands, but with his mind. To save her, he had to rebuild the broken bond. Easier said than done.

The first thing he would need was an anchor. If he was going into someone else's mind like he was about to, there was a chance that he could be caught up in there and lost. So he needed a mental anchor to hold to and pull himself out with if necessary. That was going to be the easy part.

*Hey, Piccolo, I need an anchor. Feel like volunteering?* he Mindsent.

The first thing he got in response was an aggravated sigh. Then Piccolo's voice, in an equally irritated tone. *What am I, your servant?*

Gohan grinned. *Thanks, Piccolo.* A few seconds later, the mental "rope" was thrown, and Gohan caught it easily. This was what would keep him from getting lost.

Thus anchored, he followed the bond as far as he could. It was like traveling a mental road. Exactly halfway between them was where the break had occurred. Up until that point, it was smooth and easy. But at the break, it was jagged, fragmented, and dotted all over with obstacles. Somewhere up ahead, the bond resumed with Videl, and it would be smooth sailing from there. But he would have to rebuild it in order to get to that point. Once he got there, he could easily follow the bond into her mind.

It was slow, painstaking work, and Gohan's head began to throb from the effort. Still, he pressed on, knowing a few minutes could make all the difference between Videl living and dying. She didn't know he was back, and thus could very well succeed in willing herself to die. He built the bridge ahead of him, and finally, the two halves of the proverbial road were once again joined. If he hadn't been focusing so intently, he probably would have done a victory jig, but instead, he simply slid along the mental link and began his descent into her mind.

But before he could integrate himself into her head, she moved. Not much, but enough that she startled him out of his trance. She groaned, and the sound took the form of a few audible words. "Gohan…why did you leave me?"

He ran a hand along the side of her face. "Shh…I'm right here."

She retreated back into unconsciousness.

Now with renewed determination, he ran along the bond—much more easily this time—and dove headfirst into the darkest recesses of Videl's mind. That was where she would be in this state. He "swam" around, searching for the spark of her life, with only the mental line from Piccolo keeping him from "drowning," so to speak. Finally, after pushing down into the very back of her mind, he found her. The sparkle that was Videl's life force. As he pulled her back towards herself by following his anchor, he shuddered at how close she really had been to oblivion. Too close for comfort.

Pulling himself along the line to Piccolo, he finally wrenched free and flew back to himself. He sat back, panting, and trying to will his head to stop throbbing.

*Thanks a ton, Mr. Piccolo,* he sent wearily, releasing the thread.

*Yeah, no problem.*

He looked down at Videl, and what he saw was reward enough. The color had flooded back into her face, and her breathing had grown deeper and evened out. But she wasn't awake yet.

__

"Is it gonna be like Sleeping Beauty? Are you gonna kiss her, and she'll wake up, and you'll live happily ever after and stuff?"

Goten's words ran back through Gohan's mind, and he considered it carefully. _Ah, what the hell._

He leaned down and gently touched his lips to Videl's.

For a minute, there was nothing. Then he felt a response.

"Hmm…Gohan?" Videl whispered, though her words were muffled by the kiss.

He pulled back and looked calmly into her now-open eyes, the color of sapphires. "Yes?"

She stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief. "You're…you're here! You're back!"

He pretended to look around, then nodded. "Yes, I am here! And you're there!"

"Shut up," she said weakly.

"Hey, I just got back from the dead. I have a right to catch on being annoying."

"Feel free to forget that privelege around me. I won't hold it against you," she groaned. "So… how long have you been back?"

"About ten minutes, I think. Had to fight my way out from under everyone else," he said. Then he noticed that she was looking down. "Something on your mind?"

"Yeah…" she muttered. "This is gonna sound really stupid, and probably really paranoid, but…I almost didn't think you were gonna come back, Gohan. I really didn't. I thought you were going to say no when the wish was made, and then you would stay in Otherworld with your father forever."

He chose not to enlighten her on how right she was—that he almost refused the chance at renewed life. Instead, he simply smiled. "Well, I'm here, aren't I?"

"You couldn't leave Goten or your mom behind," she sighed. "I guess I should have realized that, huh? Man, I'm a moron."

"Videl, there's more to it than that," he admonished her. "I couldn't leave you behind either. And don't forget it. Videl, I don't know if you realize this or not, but you nearly died."

The surprise that wrote itself across her face made it perfectly clear that no, she had not realized that. "What do you mean, I nearly died?"

"A broken bond. You almost willed yourself to die because you didn't think I was coming back," he explained. "And I don't know if a wish to the dragon could have revived you."

"Oh…" her voice trailed off. "Gohan?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you mean by a broken bond?"

He grinned. "Tell you what. Let's make a deal. My mother said that there is going to be an enormous dinner tonight to celebrate me coming back. If you can put up with the members of the insanity squad out there for a couple of hours, I'll explain everything to you."

"Everything I want to know?"

"Within reason."

"Deal," she reached out and shook his hand to seal the pact. "Speaking of dinner, I'm starving." She pushed the blankets off of her legs.

He jumped back and sketched a mock bow. "Shall we, my lady?" he intoned dramatically, offering her his arm like a courtier of olden days.

She giggled. "Why yes, good sir," she accepted his arm and got to her feet. Then she stepped forward and slid her arms around his waist, letting her head rest comfortably against his chest. "Don't you ever, EVER scare me like that again, do you understand?"

"Got it. Don't ever die again. Sounds like a good plan to me," he replied jokingly, though she could tell that he was completely serious.

"Good. You don't want to know what I'll do to you if you die again…" she threatened.

"What would you do, kill me?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused.

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's go eat."

Arm in arm, Gohan and Videl walked out the door and down the hallway, following the delicious smell of cooking food that was beckoning them towards the promised dinner.

Videl sighed happily. There really hadn't been anything to worry about. That much, she realized in hindsight. Even if he had thought about staying in the Otherworld, it didn't matter. Gohan was back now, and if she had anything to say about it, he was never going to leave again. She felt better than she had in a long time. She remembered back to something she had told herself the night she and Gohan had shared a dance in her dreams. Sometimes, you just needed to have a little faith.

AN: The end! Voila, a newly retyped chapter (in record time) to close out this story. This is my record for longest time it took to finish a story—what, five or six months? Hehe…sorry 'bout that. If you didn't like my ending, I'm very sorry. But I LIKE HAPPY ENDINGS!!!! That's just the way I write. Thank you to everyone who has stayed with me over the long duration of this tale. See ya around!


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